Wayfinders
by ninjaprincess17
Summary: It has been fifteen years since Moana restored the heart of Te Fiti. Now a hurricane has destroyed her island and she must lead her village to a new land and establish them...but something is missing. *I do not own Moana or any of the original Disney characters! Rated M for future chapters.
1. Alone

Chapter 1 - Alone

Moana would never forget the first time that she crossed the reef. There was a sense of urgency mingled with excitement. She had been watching the waves crash on the reef her whole life and finally satisfied her curiosity about what was on the far side of it. Here she was, fifteen years later, and the reef no longer intimidated her. She had led countless voyages past the reef in search of new lands. They now had small villages on multiple new islands and they were thriving in every way. Te Fiti had truly been watching out for her and her people.

Moana was in the middle of inspecting the coconut grove in preparation for her upcoming absence. They were getting a group ready to head out on another voyage in search of a new island. Pua Jr. was, as always, right beside her as she was walking around the village. Above her, Toa, her pet hawk, was circling the grove, keeping an ever-watchful eye on her. She passed a group of girls who were braiding each other's hair and singing of the exploits of the demi-god, Maui!

"Moana!" one of the little girls called out. "Come and tell us again about Te Fiti and how you took Maui to return her heart."

Chuckling, she walked over to where they were all gathered and sat down on a boulder facing them. She pulled the smallest one into her lap and recounted her adventures with the mischievous Maui. The girls laughed as she told about shark-head Maui, they held their breaths as Moana replayed the battle with Te Ka, and they cried tears of joy when Te Fiti's heart was fully restored. As she was finishing up her story, she saw her mother coming up the hill. She looked at the sky and then turned to her friends.

"Alright, ladies. It is getting late so you all need to head back to your houses."

"But Moana, we want to hear more stories!" protested one little girl.

"Yeah, you tell the best stories ever!" chimed in another.

"Sorry, little ones. But the hour is late and it is time for dinner. Go to your mamas and help them and tomorrow I will tell about our first voyage past the reef."

"Moana," her mother said, "you are truly your Grandmother Tala's granddaughter. She used to always tell the best stories and now that position has fallen to you. I am so proud of the beautiful woman you have become."

"Mama, I still miss her so much. I know that she is with me here," she said pointing to her heart. "It does not mean that I do not still miss her."

"Something more is bothering you. What is it?"

"What makes you think that something is bothering me? Things have never been so quiet on the island, father is in great health, what is there to be bothering me?"

"It seems to me that you are lonely!"

"Mama, what are you talking about?"

"All of your friends are either promised or married now. Your best friend is heavy with child. You have every reason to be lonely."

"I am the next chief of Montonui. I am too busy to worry about finding a husband. Besides, the young men here are intimidated by me. None of them are even interested in me in that way. Who would want to be the husband of a very independent chief who has saved the world by restoring the heart of Te Fiti? I will never be happy submitting to a man and trying to make him happy. I want to be free to be me, Moana of Montonui!" As she said her name, she broke down into sobs.

Her mother reached for her and drew her into a tight hug. As she stroked her hair, she hummed the lullaby that used to comfort Moana when she was a young child. "Moana, you may be a very strong and independent woman, but you are still a woman and you still have needs. Everybody deserves to be loved. I am your mama and I will always know when something is bothering you."

Moana felt herself start to relax even more as she felt her father come up on the other side of her and take both her and her mother into a family hug.

"Chief Tui! Moana! Come quick!" a voice called from the shore where the boats were kept.

Moana pulled away from her parents and barreled down the hill to the beach. As she pushed through the wall of bushes, she saw what had caused the commotion. There, just beyond the reef, was a storm, the likes of which Montonui had never seen before. The winds were blowing so that the water was rising out of the ocean. The lightning was almost constant in the middle of the storm.

"Everyone run to the caves!" ordered Chief Tui.

Moana started running back up the hill to the center of the village so she could get the word to the rest of the villagers and help the elderly to the caves. The village banded together and managed to get everyone to the safety before the storm arrived. The children all seemed to hover around Moana. She looked at her mother, wondering what she could do to calm the children. Her mother merely looked at her and she suddenly knew what she had to do.

"Have I ever told you about the time that Maui and I fought the treacherous Tomatoa to get Maui's magical fish hook back?" she asked them as she sat down in the middle of the group. Gathering the little ones close to her, she proceeded to tell them how she and Maui had tricked the great Tomatoa so that they could retrieve the hook of Maui. As she told her story, the storm raged outside of the cave with all the fury of Te Ka before she was returned to her true form. As she was talking about how shiny Tomatoa was, she stood up and began to create a new dance for the children. Despite the howling of the storm outside the cave, the children forgot their fear as they were transported to the cave of Tomatoa with Moana.

The great storm lasted for three days without letting up. Moana spent most of her time with the children, telling them stories, teaching them new dances, and playing games. Anything to keep them calm. Her mother was kept busy attending to the needs of the elderly and her father was busy being the chief. Her family worked together so well under difficult circumstances.

Finally, her father came up to her as she was dancing with the children.

"Moana, the storm has passed and we need to leave to see what of the village has survived. As the future chief, I would like for you to join me, please."

Together, father and daughter walked to the entrance of the cave, hoping that they would be able to give a good report. They were not to be so lucky though. The great storm had been so severe that there were no longer any trees, or buildings left on the island. In fact, much of the island was under water. It only took a matter of a few seconds to determine that they were going to have to find a new home. It was a good thing that the canoes had been stored away in the caves. They had survived the storm and were still stocked for the voyage that had been planned.

Tui and Moana turned back to the cave with heavy hearts. This was one of the times when Moana did not like being the next chief. She and her father had to tell their people that their home was gone.

"Great people of Montonui," began chief Tui. "The great storm has passed and our people are safe. But our beautiful island has not been so fortunate. We have lost everything on the island, except for what we were able to seal away in the caves. It is with a heavy heart that I tell you that we must leave our island and hope that our sister islands have survived the storm better than we have. Chief Moana will be leading our voyage. Please begin preparations immediately to set out. We must go, and soon to ensure that we have enough food for everyone until we arrive."

With that, the people of Montonui began working together, as they always did, to get everything ready. Moana oversaw the readying of the boats and getting them out to sea. She still had her canoe that Te Fiti had given her and she led the way for the others with it. Pua Jr. was sitting on the deck and Toa was perched on the top of the mast as they set sail.

As they headed for the reef, Mona took one last look at her home that was no more. She suddenly wished that Maui was there. He could have flown ahead as the great hawk to find a place for her to take her people. She turned her attention to the fast-approaching reef and guided her canoe across with no difficulty.

"Toa, fly ahead and find us a place to make landfall."

Toa immediately took off toward the sun and Moana turned her canoe in the same direction. Toa was her favorite traveling companion. He had accompanied her on many voyages through the years and had never steered her wrong. She had found him as a hatchling on one of her voyages and took him with her, a decision that she never regretted. He kept her safe and guided her around storms. He was going to be very important on this particular voyage, when the whole village was following her lead.

She settled down in her canoe to the task at hand. She had no idea how long they would be traveling before finding a place to make land fall. The weight of responsibility on her shoulders felt almost too heavy to handle. Everyone was counting on her. They were not worried. She was the great Moana who had delivered Maui to Te Fiti and made him return her heart. She was a hero! What nobody knew was that she could have never done that without Maui there to help her.

Where was Maui? She had not seen him in more than ten years. He used to check on her all the time but then one day, he left and never came back. She thought about him a lot, especially when she was on a voyage.

"Moana?"

Moana turned in the direction of her mother's voice. "Come on over, Mama."

"You seem like your heart is heavy. What is the matter?"

"I can't lead these people! This is not like my other voyages where I was exploring beyond the reef. This time, the whole village is relying on me. I am not as great as they think I am!"

"You are _better_ than you think you are. You were born to be the next chief and your father and I agree that you will lead our people and be a great chief when the time comes. They all respect you and it is not just because of what you did for Te Fiti. They love you for your heart!"

Moana sat thinking about what her mama was saying. She would lead the people with her heart. She was Moana of Montonui! She knew who she was and she knew what she could do. She would protect her people at any cost.

They sailed for three days before finally coming to an island that sat untouched by the storm. They disembarked from the canoes and set to work making shelter for the night. Moana was exhausted! She had only taken a couple of naps since the beginning of the storm. Wayfinders cannot sleep. Thankfully her mama guided her canoe so she could nap. But any time she slept, all she could do was dream about the devastation that was her home. As soon as all of the canoes were safely on the shore, Chief Tui came over and told Moana to go find a place to sleep.

"You have tirelessly led our people across the ocean. I am still the chief and will make sure the people are safe. And that includes you. You are to go and sleep and your mama will bring you food when we have something ready."

Moana leaned over and gave her father a hug. "Thank you, Papa." She tiredly turned toward the small forest that was off to the side. There was a stream of fresh water. She took a nice long drink and then laid on a pile of palm leaves, Pua Jr. curled up against her.

It was several hours later when, thanks to the help of Toa, her mother found her sound asleep.

"Moana, dinner is ready."

Moana sat up slowly, looking around and trying to figure out where she was. Slowly, she realized that she had not been dreaming about her home being gone. She turned to her mama who was looking at her with great concern in her eyes.

"I am fine, Mama. I just need some time alone if that is ok with you."

"Take some time, Moana. You have been through a lot and you do not have someone to share it with like everyone else does. Your father and I are here if you need to talk. We both love you very much."

Moana leaned over and hugged her mother. She was right, Father and mother had each other to take comfort in. Her friends were all married and had their spouses to confide in. There would be a lot of taking comfort in each other tonight, and Moana was alone. She stood up, hugged her mother one more time, and headed to her canoe. Her mother did not need to ask where she was going. She knew her daughter better than anyone. Moana was going to find comfort in the ocean.

Moana did not know where she was going, just that she needed to get away from the island. She knew where everyone was and her father would see that they were taken care of. Pua Jr. and Toa followed her and took their positions on the canoe. Moana cast away from the island, not knowing where she was going or what she was looking for. There was simply one thought that kept replaying in her head.

Where is Maui?


	2. Captive

Chapter 2 – Captive

Maui looked around him. He was back to the land of Lalotai trying to win another one over on Tamatoa. He found out that Tamatoa had stolen a very valuable locket from the goddess Mafui'e and she was threatening the world with catastrophic earthquakes if it was not returned to her.

Maui crept up to the entrance to Tamatoa's cave and peered around the corner. The great shiny Crab was sleeping, for now. It was a good thing that Maui was known as a trickster. Hopefully he would be able to trick the great crustacean into letting him have Mafui'e's locket. The human's lives depended on it.

Everything he had ever done had been for them. He wanted them to love him. That is, after all, the reason he took Te Fiti's heart all those years ago. There was nothing more fulfilling than hearing them tell the tales of Maui. He thrived on their adoration.

None of this mattered right now. The only thing to focus on at the moment was retrieving the locket before it was too late. He peered around the corner again, trying to catch even a small glimpse of the locket. After a few minutes of intense searching, he saw it hanging off a golden lamp right between Tamatoa's eyes. Now he just had to figure out how to get it without waking up the shiny fool.

Suddenly, Maui realized that he had all the tools he needed without any problem. He had his hook! He would transform into a lizard and crawl right in, grab the locket, and be out without Tamatoa being any wiser about what was going on.

"Cheehoo!" he said in a whisper. He promptly took on the form of the lizard and began to crawl along the wall to the closest point to Tamatoa's head. He scampered down, grabbed the locket in his mouth, and quickly turned around to run out. Unfortunately, despite how careful and quiet he had been, he had still managed to wake up Tamatoa.

"Maui, is that you?"

"It sure is, you great crustaceous fool!"

"What are you doing with that locket? Finders, keepers! Losers, weepers! I found it and I will be keeping it! Not even the demi-god Maui will be able to get it from me."

Maui cringed at the sound of Tamatoa's voice. He had a quality to his voice that could really annoy a person!

Tamatoa proceeded to reach up with his great claw to grab Maui. Maui was too fast though and immediately transformed into a hawk and started to fly away, keeping a firm bite on the locket. As fast as he transformed and moved, Tamatoa was still big and fast enough to pinch Maui on the leg. Maui flew with every fiber of his being, flying side to side in an attempt to get Tamatoa off his leg. No matter what he did, Tamatoa held on.

Finally, Maui decided that the best course of action would be to fly out of Lalotai and try to rid himself of the annoying crab in the human's world. He flew over to the geyser just as it went off sending him and his foe into the world above. Tamatoa was not a small crab and all of the gold and other treasures on his shell made him that much heavier. Maui flew with everything he had in him. Once he was back in the land of the humans, he transformed into a great whale, but still Tamatoa held on. The crab used his claws to pinch every spot he could reach on Maui. Maui realized that he would never be able to win in the water. The sky was the only way to go. Maybe he could fly up high enough that if Tamatoa released his grip he would fall to certain death on one of the islands.

Maui flew as high as he could but it was a slow climb. With Tamatoa fighting with every ounce of his being, he lost half the height he gained. Maui never gave up though. He started to fly toward the volcano where Pele lived.

"Drop Tamatoa in lava," thought Maui, "perfect! There is no way he could recover from that!"

Maui was so excited about his plan that he almost forgot that he was fighting for his life. The next thing he knew, he had a terrible pain in his right wing and he was starting to fall to the earth. He tried to flap his wing but it simply refused to work for him. He transformed back into a man in the hopes of becoming too small for Tamatoa to hold onto. But the crab was too quick for Maui and grabbed at his legs in an effort to save himself. Both the crab and the demi-god continued to fall, going straight into the volcano that led to Pele.

As they continued to fall, they crashed against the walls on the inside of the volcano. Tamatoa was stunned, forcing him to release his hold on Maui. Maui grabbed at the rocks on the wall of the volcano to stop himself from falling all the way to the bottom. He managed to finally grab onto a rock that was sticking out of the wall. He watched as Tamatoa fell into the lava below.

Maui reached for his hook and was terrified to discover that somewhere along the way he had lost it. The only thing below him was lava. There was no way he would ever get it back now! What good was he without his hook? There was no point in going on at this point. He was not Maui without the hook.

Suddenly, he felt something hot pulling at his legs. Pele had him and was dragging him down to her realm! He fought with everything in him but it did no good. He was only met with pain in his arm and the heat of Pele's hands. She pulled him down into the depths of her realm.

"Pele, so good to see you," he said in a mockingly upbeat voice. "You're not still mad at me for stealing your fingernail to give the humans fire are you?"

Pele just glared at Maui as she put him into a cage with bars made of lava. If there was one goddess you did not want to mess with, it was Pele.

Maui was exhausted. He had been fighting Tamatoa, had been imprisoned by Pele, his hook was gone. What use was Maui now? He was covered in his own blood from fighting with Tamatoa. His arm hurt so bad he could hardly move it. His body forced him into and exhausted sleep. As he drifted off, he hoped that the world of dreams would not elude him.

It was a couple of days later when Maui woke up. He found himself drenched in sweat and his arm was now just a constant thud. That evil Tamatoa had really messed him up! He looked around in an effort to orient himself to his surroundings. There had to be a way for him to get out of this mess. What was it? Flying was out of the question, no hook. He was fairly certain that he could climb his way out, if only he had a way to get out of the cage. After all, how long was he likely to survive down here? Pele was furious with him for stealing fire from her a lifetime ago. She certainly meant to do away with him before too long. He may be a demi-god but she was a goddess which meant she could kill him.

"Think you fool!"

Not only was he stuck down in Pele's world where he was sure to die, but he had also failed to return the locket to Mafui'e. He had let everyone down. He quickly found himself unable to fight sleep any longer. He hurt all over. He was hot. He was soon dreaming of the ocean breeze and the humans who would be missing him. He clutched the locket that was around his neck as he fell asleep.

Maui was not sure how long he had been imprisoned by Pele. When you are a demi-god, time has a very different way of passing. This was worse than the time he was stuck on the island for a thousand years. At least there, he had ocean around him, sunshine by day, and moonlight by night. It had not been great circumstances but it beat this. Everyday, Pele sent one of her servants to bring Maui food and a little water. What could she possibly want me alive for?

One day, Maui woke up from a restless night full of dreams. He had dreamed of Te Fiti, wayfinding with Moana, growing coconut trees, flying high above the earth. He could not stand it any longer. He carefully looked around his cage yet again and figured out what he would need to do. When dinner came this time, he would overpower the servant and force them to let him go. The humans needed him. He could not explain it but he knew that something was wrong and he needed to check on them.

When the servant finally did come around, Maui was sitting with his back to the door. The servant that came on this particular occasion always loved to prod Maui and pick on him. When the servant poked him in the back with a hot stick, Maui was ready. He grabbed the stick and pulled it to him.

"If you value your life, you will release me now," Maui growled threateningly to the servant.

"You can't make me do anything!" retorted the servant as if Maui was beneath him.

Maui reached through the bars with speed that his adversary was not prepared for. Maui grabbed him around the neck and began to squeeze.

"Okay!" squeaked out the servant. "You win."

He grabbed his key and opened the door. Maui quickly grabbed the servant and threw him in the cage, locking the door behind him. He looked all around him to make sure there was no one else coming toward him. Once he was sure the way was clear, he sprinted down the hall toward the opening of the volcano. He stopped short when he reached the main cavern. There, in the middle of the volcano, was Pele. He squeezed himself into the nearest crack and waited ever so patiently until he was sure that she was asleep.

He crawled slowly toward the closest outcropping and began the slow climb. Not only was it slow from trying to keep from waking Pele, but his arm was still messed up. He had no idea how long he had been down here but his arm should have healed by now. Several times throughout the climb, Maui had to shrink against the wall to avoid waking Pele. It took him 2 days to climb out of Pele's volcano.

Finally, Maui reached the top of the volcano and emerged into the beautiful sunshine and fresh ocean air. His arm hurt terribly and he was starving. All he cared about was getting to the humans to make sure they were safe. Something told him they were in big trouble. But how was he going to reach them. He did not have his hook?

The ocean crept up to him and gave him a sideways look.

"What do you want? I don't have a boat. I cannot reach them. Care to help?"

The ocean just kept looking at him. Finally, it came up to the shore and grabbed him.


	3. Gramma Tala

**Author Note: Please leave me a review and let me know what you like/don't like. This is my first attempt at a fan fiction and I am having a blast writing but would like your input as well please! Enjoy!**

Gramma Tala

Moana set out from the island in the direction of the moon. She had no idea where she was going, she just knew that she needed to be on the ocean. She may be a future Chief but she was first and foremost a wayfinder. She looked around at the stars that were in the sky, trying to decide on a direction, but she was so numb that she could not think. She was still exhausted from the storm and the journey that followed. More than that, she was emotionally drained from the loneliness that had led her to the ocean, not to mention the storm that had destroyed her home and displaced her people. She secured the sail and leaned against the mast.

Little did she know; she fell asleep and did not wake again for three days. Thankfully, the ocean kept her safe while she slept. In the middle of the third day, something woke her up from her deep sleep. She felt better than she had in weeks despite the fact that she was starving. But something was not wuite right. The ocean was too still! There was an absence of movement of any kind in the water and the wind was also noticeably absent. Not only that but no matter wat direction she looked, all she could see was water. She looked to the sky but direction eluded her from there as well.

"I guess I will just hang out until I can figure out where I am!"

She opened her storage hatch in search of food. There was not much to choose from as Pua Jr. had already helped himself to the fruit that she had brought along. She grabbed some dried fish and ate it while enjoying what little fresh water she had with her. She turned to the ocean.

"Ummm, HELLO!" she screeched at the ocean. "Where have you taken me? I don't know where I am. I need to find more food and water! You have gotten me LOST! A little help would be nice!"

The ocean looked at her and then promptly fell back down, offering no help to Moana. She sat for the longest time to see if the ocean would help her, but it did not. There was no breeze in the air and she was quickly getting overheated. It only took a couple of hours of going nowhere for Moana to decide that a swim was in order. She was absolutely smoldering under the hot afternoon sun.

She stripped out of her skirt and dove into the water.

"That feels so much better!" she said to Pua Jr. as she resurfaced. The water was surprisingly cooler than she had expected considering how hot it was. She once again dove under the surface and swam around enjoying the coolness of the water.

Suddenly, there was a glowing blue manta ray underneath of her. She pushed back to the surface of the water, gulping in air as she resurfaced. Looking at her canoe, she saw the spirit of her beloved Gramma Tala.

"Gramma!" she exclaimed as she speed swam back to her canoe. She scurried aboard and hurriedly embraced her grandmother. "I have missed you so much!"

"I have missed you too, my child. How have you been?"

Moana sat down with a huff and put her head in her hands. "O Gramma! It has been fifteen years since my first voyage across the ocean. We have searched the ocean for and found new islands, discovered new plants, it has been wonderful!"

"Then why do I sense a note of longing in your voice?"

Moana just sat there, tears pooling in her eyes as she tried to come up with an answer for her grandmother. "I feel…alone!"

"Nobody understands you and it makes you lonely," her grandmother stated matter of factly. "You long for companionship but everyone is intimidated by the heroine who crossed the ocean, defeated Te-Ka, and returned the heart of Te Fiti. You created bonds that cannot be understood by others. You are a friend of the ocean and the savior of Te Fiti. These are not small accomplishments."

Gramma Tala gathered Moana into her arms and stroked her hair as she cried the gathered tears finally made their escape. Nobody had ever understood her the way her grandmother did and the tears slowly went from tears of hurt and loneliness to tears of comfort. Right here, in the middle of the ocean, being held by the spirit of her grandmother, she felt more at home than anywhere else she had ever been before.

"Don't get me wrong, Gramma. I love my people, the island, and the ocean, and adventure. I just have not been able to figure out how I can be surrounded by so many people all of the time and still feel so lonely."

Gramma Tala looked at Moana and saw not the little girl from so many years ago who wanted to see the ocean, but rather a tall young woman who was preparing to become the next chief of her village. A woman who was lonesome and needed someone to love her for who she was.

"Moana, you are a very strong woman who is destined for many great things." Her grandmother's voice was very kind and understanding as she spoke. "One day, you will understand why the gods have turned to you to save your people on more than one occasion. You will find someone who will love you for the woman you are."

"Are you sure about all of that?" Moana asked her grandmother.

"I am sure. The ocean has shown me that you will find love and happiness. But first, you must find the locket of Mafui'e and return it to her before she can destroy everything. She was the reason for the great storm that destroyed Montonui."

"Gramma, that is a job for Maui. He is the one who keeps us safe!" She was frustrated as she said this. Where was he? It was his job to take care of the humans!

"My dear Moana. Maui has been taken and can no longer protect us. You are the one the ocean has chosen, yet again, to save your people!"

"But, Gramma. Where can I find the locket? And who has taken Maui?" she asked in a panic. She needed the strength and wisdom of the demigod in order to face the task ahead.

"No idea!" replied Gramma Tala with a goofy grin on her face. She looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was beginning to set. "It is time for me to go back to the ocean. Just remember, I will always be with you!"

With that, Gramma Tala dove back into the ocean where she returned to her Manta Ray form. Moana watched as her grandmother circled around the canoe a few times and then slowly spiraled down to the floor of the ocean. The manta ray lit up the ground below it before finally disappearing into the distance. Moana stood there looking at the spot. She could see something sticking out of the sand below her but she could not tell what it was and it was a very long ways down there. She stood there for a few minutes trying to see what it was.

"Is this why you brought me here?" she asked the ocean, holding up the hook. "Is that something that I need?"

The ocean responded by moving out of the way just enough so she could make it all the way to the bottom of the ocean and reach the item that was sticking out of the sand. She took a deep breath and dove down to the depths of the ocean so she could get the mysterious item. She grabbed a hold of it with all her might and let her breath out as she realized what she had in her hand. She pushed off the floor of the ocean and swam back up to the surface. She gasped for air as she tossed her find onto the canoe and then lifted herself up.

She sat there for several minutes panting for air and looking at what she had just recovered from the ocean floor. Suddenly, the tears started flowing as she held on to Maui's broken hook. If she had Maui's hook, and it was broken, where was her friend? Was he still alive? Would she ever be able to find him?

As she was sitting there grieving for her friend, a breeze filled the sail of her canoe and started her sailing again. It was several minutes before she realized what was going on. When she finally collected her whits about her, she realized that the ocean was sending her to Te Fiti.

She grabbed some water and washed the tears from her face and then hurried to man her canoe as she steered it toward Te Fiti. With the wind blowing from behind her, she made excellent time and it was evening the next day before she had finally arrived at Te Fiti.

She scurried off her canoe and after securing it, she ran to Te Fiti. She was in tears again as she finally reached Te Fiti. The goddess must have known Moana was close because she was sitting there waiting for her guest. She held out her hand for Moana to step onto and brought her up to face level.

"Te Fiti! I fear that something is wrong with Maui!" She held the hook up so Te Fiti could see it and continued on, desperate for the goddess to understand and help her. "I found this in the ocean. I was told that a locket was missing from Mafui'e and that I need to return it. But I cannot do it without Maui's help. I do not know if he is alive or where to find him. Please, Te Fiti, can you help me?"

Moana was crying so hard at this point that she was barely able to finish her question. The goddess held Moana up to her forehead in an effort to comfort the young woman. Moana finally remembered that she was in the presence of the goddess Te Fiti and composed herself.

"I am sorry, Te Fiti. I am just really worried for Maui. He took such good care of me before and I hate the thought of anything happening to him. Is there any way you can help me?"

Without moving Moana, Te Fiti raised her other hand and presented a new fish hook to Moana. Moana looked up at Te Fiti and felt a sense of relief as she realized that the only reason to present a new hook was because Maui was still alive. Te Fiti offered a warm and knowing smile to Moana as she saw the relief wash over the worried woman.

"Thank you, Te Fiti. Now I just need to find Maui. I don't even know where to look." Moana looked around in every direction as she talked to the goddess.

Te Fiti set Moana down on the beach next to a beautiful hut, complete with a large pile of fresh fruit. Moana understood. She was to stay here for the night and rest up before she again set sail. Pua Jr. came up to her and laid at her feet as she ate of the fruit and stayed in his spot while she stocked her canoe in preparation for the journey that she would embark upon in the morning.

Finally, the canoe was prepared as much as it could be for the night. She once again had an adventure to embark upon and she knew that Maui was still alive and she would get to see her friend again before too long, she just had to find him first. She laid down on the bed in the hut and fell fast asleep. It did not take long for her to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep.

The next morning, Moana was awoken by the sound of Toa calling from the sky where he was circling around the little hut. She lay there for a few minutes relaxing and enjoying the fact that she was feeling more rested than she had in weeks. Suddenly, she remembered that she had a lot of work to do. She picked up the new hook and led Pua Jr. to the canoe. She turned once more toward Te Fiti, who was fast asleep, and whispered "Thank you, Te Fiti. I really appreciate all that you have done for me!"

Moana saw Te Fiti give her a smile in her sleep. She smiled back and turned to the canoe and shoved off. She still did not know exactly where she was going to find Maui at but she was pretty confident that the ocean would help her…at least she hoped so.

"Don't worry, Maui. I will find you!"


	4. Broken

_A/N I really hope you are all enjoying the story. I am really enjoying where this story is taking me. Please be sure to let me know what you think of the story so far and feel free to leave ideas as well. Thanks for reading!_

Chapter 4 – Broken

Maui woke up in a bed under the stars. He had no idea where he was. The last thing he remembered was the ocean taking him away from Pele's island. He had passed out just after the wave had carried him off the shore. He had no idea how long it had been since he had been carried away from Pele. He gingerly tried to move his injured arm and found that it was bandaged to his side. He also noticed that there were leaves on all his wounds. He knew what they were. They were from a plant that had healing powers.

Maui lifted his head as far as he could and attempted to look around and see if he could find anyone. As he looked around, he saw a stooped old lady over by a campfire. She seemed to be stirring the contents of a large kettle over the campfire. He started to sit up, but the pain in his arm and head was too great. He immediately lay back down and closed his eyes against the pain in his arm.

But he was a demi-god! His wounds should have healed already! Something was wrong. At this point, his fight with Tomatoa had been more than ten years ago! Why was his arm still a problem? And why did he have all these injuries from escaping Pele? Nothing was making sense, and trying to figure it all out was just making his head hurt even worse.

It was after dark when he was awakened by a hand under his head trying to sit him up. He opened his eyes and was shocked to see the old woman in front of him with a bowl of food. She was trying to raise his head so that she could feed him some stew.

She was dressed in a simple wrap and grass skirt. Her hair was white and she was missing her front teeth. He had no idea who this woman was! She did not look threatening but that did not mean that she was to be trusted.

"You need to eat something if you want to get better." She coaxed him with a wavering voice that betrayed how old she was. Maui could tell just by looking at her that she had seen many years pass in her lifetime.

"Who are you?" Maui asked cautiously.

"My name is Fomai and I am the healer of heroes. You were greatly wounded when fighting Tomatoa. The years spent in Pele's realm have weakened you greatly so that your body is not healing as it should." She offered him a spoonful of stew. Maui laid there looking at it. It looked nasty and smelled worse!

"Why would I ever want to eat that?" he asked with disgust in his voice.

"Because if you do not, you will never heal." She gave him a look that can only come from a grandmother and he knew that there was no way he could get away with disobeying.

He took a deep breath and opened his mouth wide and closed his eyes tight, dreading the moment he would have to swallow. Much to his surprise, the stew that had all kinds of flowers, leaves, and fish guts ended up tasting wonderful. It did not take much coaxing for him to finish the whole bowl that she had brought to him.

"That's a good boy, Maui."

"I am a demigod, not a boy. And how do you know my name?" he asked.

"I know the names of all heroes. How else would I know how to care for them? The gods always send fallen heroes to me so that I can heal them. That is why the ocean brought you here."

Maui moved to get up but she pushed him back down with a strength he would have never guessed that she possessed.

"Maui, hero to all, you need to stay here and rest for a while. The gods have told me that you have a great task ahead of you and you will not be able to accomplish it unless you take the time to heal."

Maui opened his mouth to argue with her but found himself thinking twice about it after looking at her face. He laid himself back down and realized that it actually felt really good to lie back down. He lay there looking at the stars and was soon asleep once again.

He was on a canoe, headed toward Te Fiti. He heard a commotion next to him and when he looked down, he saw Heihei the chicken staring up at him with wide eyes. Maui jumped back, shocked that the chicken was still alive! He looked around him, suddenly realizing that if Drumstick was there, Moana had to be close by. He finally spotted her laying at the base of the mast and she was fast asleep. He moved to wake her when a large tentacle reached up and grabbed Moana, pulling her into the ocean. Before he had a chance to realize what was happening, Moana was long gone!

"Moana!" he yelled frantically as he reached for his fish hook. But it was not there next to him where it should have been! "Where is it? I have to find it and save Moana! She deserves so much better than this. MOANA!"

Maui startled awake to see Fomai looking down at him with concern in her eyes.

"Settle down, Maui. You are safe. You simply had a bad dream. Here, eat some more stew." She shoved the bowl of stew toward him so that he could eat.

"How long was I asleep this time?" he asked.

"You have been asleep for 7 days. But, look at you. Your wounds are almost completely healed."

Maui looked down at himself and saw that Fomai was right. His wounds had gone from ugly gashes in his body to faint scars that were almost invisible around his tattoos.

"What have you done to me?" he asked in an accusatory tone.

"I have simply tended to your wounds," she responded calmly. "I have healed you to the best of my abilities and you have gotten the rest that your years of being a demi god have required. Now you need only to eat up and gain your strength back."

About that time, Maui remembered his dream. He started looking around himself frantically, trying to find his hook.

"You seem to have lost something. Can I help you find it?"

"You thief!" Maui yelled at Fomai. "You stole my hook! I am nothing without my hook!"

"You had nothing with you when the ocean brought you here," Fomai responded coolly.

Maui stopped in his tracks as everything came flooding back to mind. His fight with Tomatoa, he descent into Pele's volcano, his narrow escape, losing his hook, the locket. The locket!

"Fomai, did you happen to find a locket on me?"

Fomai reached for her pocket and pulled out a gold chain. "Is this the locket you are looking for?"

"Yes! Please can I have it back?" Maui asked as calmly as he could and reaching his hand out for it.

Fomai unblinkingly looked back at Maui. "I have cared for you, fed you, treated your wounds, and kept you safe from harm. I deserve payment for my services!"

Maui took a few steps back from Fomai. Something had changed in her and she was now a scary woman. Maui looked around him for some clue as to what was happening.

"Fomai, I will pay you, whatever you want. But I _**have**_ to return the locket to Mafui'e! If I do not, she will destroy the world." Maui was feeling desperate now. Mafui'e had not destroyed the earth yet and he had set out on this mission over ten years ago. How much longer would she wait for her locket to be returned to her?

As Maui was trying to figure out how to get himself out of this situation, Fomai started to get taller, her back straighter, her appearance younger. She was tall with long dark hair. Her eyes were very narrow and green in color.

"Maui, you should have just forgotten about the locket of Mafui'e. It is mine now and I am going to keep it at any cost. If you will just let me keep it, without a fight, I will let you live. If, however, you insist on taking it from me, I will have no choice but to **kill** you."

Maui was backing away from the tall woman. She had been transforming the whole time she had been talking and she now looked nothing like the woman he had started talking to.

"What is your name then? I can't be caught using the wrong name." Maui said with a hint of mocking in his voice.

"My name is Faomea!"

Maui snapped his head up when he heard the name. This was the goddess of Thieves. She was always stealing things from the other gods causing them to be angry and take it out on the humans. Maui turned and started running toward the ocean. He had to get away from her before she called to her twin brother for help. One was a Thief and the other a Deceiver and between the two of them the humans would never be safe again!

Maui ran for the trees where he hoped to be able to find cover. Faomea was hot on his trail. He was looking all around for any kind of shelter or place to hide. Far off ahead and to the left, he could barely see a cave. He ran for it as fast as he could. Faomea was fast but Maui was faster. He managed to lose her in the thick underbrush as he ran. He finally reached the cave and sealed it off with a huge boulder. Thank Te Fiti he had been able to heal most of the way so he had his strength back. He found a couple of rocks and started a fire with some brush that was laying in the floor of the cave. Once the fire was going, he was able to see his surroundings. Over in the corner, Maui saw a pile of clothes. He cautiously approached and jumped back when he saw Fomai laying on the ground, chained to a stalagmite.

"Maui, I see that you have found me!" she said weakly. "Would you be a dear and release me from the chains?"

Maui grabbed the chains and pulled with everything in him until the chain finally broke.

"When it gets dark and Faomea comes this way, I am going to leave and see if I can find a way for us to get off the island."

"Dear Maui, I will not be leaving with you. If I do, then nobody will be able to find me if they need my help. I will be following the cave to the other opening. You stay here. She will soon leave as she now has what she came after. She will soon be leaving and we can get back to what we need to do, me healing others, you saving the world."

Maui looked at her questioningly. "Are you sure about all of that?"

"I am sure," she said as she headed toward that back of the cave.

Maui turned back toward the entrance of the cave and sat down next to the door to wait for the night to come. He would know it was night when the owls began to hoot. He could not wait to get off the island and help the humans and restore the locket of Mafui'e.

Moana needed him.

 _A/N the next couple of chapters will contain explicit and graphic content. I just wanted to give everyone a head's up._


	5. Invaders

_A/N Sorry, I have been a little behind in updating. This is a very important chapter but it was hard for me to write as I wanted to do it right. Also, this chapter contains explicit content as well as a possible trigger. Pleased be warned that it is there. I have marked it so that you can skip over it if you wish_.

Chapter 5 – Invaders

Moana set sail not knowing where she was headed. There was no telling where Maui was being held, and even less of an idea how she would be able to help him out. She got to thinking about the fact that a locket was involved and wondered if she should head toward Lalotai. Maybe Tomatoa had the locket.

As she was sailing toward Lalotai, she got an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Despite everything else that was wrong, she had this overwhelming feeling that she should head home. For one thing, she left without telling her parents, or anyone else, that she was leaving. She also still had responsibilities to fulfil as the future chief of Montonui.

She hated the fact that this detour would put her behind on finding Maui and the locket of Mafui'e. It was an important task that needed to be completed to protect her family and her village. She wrestled with herself for what seemed like forever before she finally committed to going home for a quick visit to make sure all was well. She also wanted to tell her parents where she was going and what she was doing so they would not worry.

She turned her canoe in the direction of home and sailed for two days before finding an island that she could rest on. It was a lush island with many different types of fruit trees growing there. She found a nice shady area and set up a small camp for the night. She knew that she needed to take some time and get some sleep or she would have problems making it home safely. She also needed to gather more food. She gathered as much as she could fit into her boat and then sat down to enjoy the sunset.

It seemed like a lifetime ago that she had set out to find Maui and restore the heart of Te Fiti. So much had changed in that time. She was now more active in the affairs of being the next chief and now, here she was, once again taking a voyage to restore something that belonged to a god and needing to find the locket and return it.

It did not take long for her to fall asleep!

 _Moana heard her father calling her name. She ran through the forest to find him standing in front of his new house._

" _Moana, where have you been?" he asked in a worried voice. "We have been worried sick about you."_

" _I am sorry, Father," she answered apologetically. "I was just so lonely here on the island, surrounded by people who had someone to be with. I have nobody!"_

" _Oh, Moana! You will always have your mother and I. We love you!"_

" _I know, Father. But it is not the same. Why can't I find someone to love me as I am?"_

" _Because, my child, you are different from everyone else. One day, you will find the one your soul loves."_

 _She loved the feel of the wind in her hair! Her sail was full as the wind sent her in the direction of Te Fiti. She always felt at home there. In fact, that was the one place she always went when she needed a break from the trials of everyday life. As she reached the shore, she noticed that something was a bit different._

 _There, on the edge of the forest, was a beautiful hut. There was a path leading up to the hut that was covered in flower petals. She walked up the path to the hut and saw that the door at the top of the steps was slightly ajar. As she took the first step leading up to the hut, she heard a voice behind her._

" _Moana, are you sure you want to go in there?"_

 _Moana spun around at the sound of Gramma Tala's voice. "Gramma!" she cried as she ran to hug her grandmother. "Why wouldn't I want to go in there?"_

" _The person that you will find in there is the one whom your soul longs for."_

 _Moana looked at her grandmother with a confused expression on her face. "How can you know who my soul longs for? I do not even know. Have I even met him yet?"_

" _There is only one way to find out!" Gramma replied with a grin on her face. "Go on, child. Go to the one your soul longs for!"_

 _Moana turned to face the hut for a brief moment before turning back toward Gramma, but she had already returned to the ocean. Moana hesitated ever so briefly before finally deciding to go into the hut. She took the stairs, slowly, and finally walked up to the door. She peeked in and…_

Moana woke up feeling dazed and confused. Her heart was pounding and there was a distinct throbbing in her stomach as well as between her legs. That was new. She did not even see the face of the one who was waiting for her in the hut. She would have given anything to see who it was.

Suddenly, she jerked herself to the present. Where had those dreams come from? She really needed to get her head back on straight and get back to the tasks at hand. She looked around and saw that the sun was starting to come up over the horizon. She quickly cleaned up her modest little campsite and put the last of her things back on the canoe. She really wanted to go back to the pool of fresh water she had found the previous evening and clean up a bit but she felt an urgency to get back home. What was she going to find when she got there?

The wind was blowing in the right direction to give her the best speed possible, ensuring that she would reach home by the next day. There would be no need to rest again. As she sat, steering her canoe toward Montonui, she thought about her dreams from the previous night. It really bothered her that she had woken up feeling the way she did. Were the spirits trying to tell her to go to Te Fiti and she would find the one her soul longed for? She was so confused about the whole situation.

The sun was just going down the next day when she reached Montonui. She pulled her canoe to shore so that it would not float away during the night. She ran to the village and stopped short when she came up to the clearing around which all of the huts were arranged.

As she looked at the big common area in the middle of the village that was still under construction, she saw some strangers pointing spears at her people who were all tied to the great tree in the middle of the clearing. As she stood there taking in the situation, she felt something rub up against her leg. She jumped back and looked down to see Pua Jr. standing next to her.

"Shhh, be quiet and stay here," she whispered to him. She then looked around for Toa. He was sitting silently on a tree branch just above where she was standing. She reached her arm toward him and he flew down and lightly landed on her arm. "Go find my parents," she ordered. The hawk immediately rose into the sky in silence and flew off.

Moana turned back toward the village. How was she going to be able to save everyone? Where were her parents and were they still alive? Her heart was racing as she looked all around the clearing. The captors were very muscular and wore the green of the islands that were a far ways off from where they were. What were they doing here?

She slowly crept around in the bushes that encircled the village, looking for anything that might possibly give her an idea of what she could do to save everyone. Suddenly, she felt someone grab her hair from behind.

"Well, what have we here?" asked a menacing voice. Moana looked up at the man who had grabbed her. He was massive and dressed in finer clothes than the others who were in the village.

She summoned up every ounce of courage that she could. "I am Moana of Monaonui. You **WILL** release my people and **LEAVE** our island!"

"Oh, we will, will we?" he asked, taunting her. He wrapped his massive arms around her and lifter her off the ground, carrying her toward the village. As he walked past the tree, Moana could hear everyone gasping as they realized she had not only returned, but been captured as well. She had been their last hope!

"Moana!" she heard her mother scream as she was carried past a cage that had been built to hold her parents. She almost hoped that she was going to be put in with them. To her dismay, that is not where she was taken. Instead, the brute carried her past them and up into her parents' hut. He threw her on the ground roughly causing the wind to be knocked out of her as she hit the ground. She tried to scramble to her feet and run but he was faster than she was. He quickly grabbed her and used rope to tie her to the column in the middle of the hut.

 _ **(Trigger warning)**_

"You are not going anywhere, Gorgeous!" he growled at her. He almost sounded like an animal. Moana looked up at him, trying to figure out who he was. There was almost an inhuman quality about him.

"Who are you and what do you want from my people?" she demanded of him.

"My name is Tau-Faasese. I am the brother of Faomea and we are trying to get rid of all you humans so the world will belong to only us!" he said with a chuckle. "Do you want to know what my favorite part of capturing you humans is? This!" he said as he knelt on the floor in front of her and yanked all her clothes off her roughly.

Moana moved around as much as she could to try and get him away from her. She kicked her legs at him only to have him catch them and push them down to the ground.

"I like them feisty!" he sneered at her as he stood to remove his own clothing. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen and this is going to be the best night I have ever had!" As he said that, he reached for her right breast and started squeezing it in his hand. Moana screamed out in pain as it felt like he was trying to rip it from her body. She tried to buck him off her but he only laid on top of her and rubbed his manhood against her leg while he assaulted her other breast. Once again, she screamed from the pain only to have him smile down at her.

"Keep it up, Princess!" he sneered at her.

"Nobody calls me Princess and gets away with it!" she yelled at him.

"I will call you whatever I wish as I have my way with you. Go ahead and fight me, I dare you. It will only bring me that much more pleasure."

Moana decided that it would be in her best interest to try not to fight any more. If she was tied up here, who would save her village. Suddenly, there was a searing pain as he thrust his fingers deep inside of her. She could not help the scream that the pain withdrew from her. She could feel his hardness on her leg. It was big and she had never been with a man. She knew where he was planning to put it and it was going to hurt much worse than his sharp nailed fingers.

She screamed again as he once again thrust his fingers as hard and far as he could inside of her. She bucked violently, causing him to fall off her. She scooted as far away from him as possible despite the restraints.

"Come here you little bitch!" he growled at her as he reached for her legs and pulled her to him. "I will make you mine and you will have my child and make me the chief of Montonui!" He roughly pushed a finger deep inside of her, causing her to scream. "You have never been touched by a man! The child I will place inside of you will undoubtedly be mine." He began pushing his fingers roughly into her faster and harder until it felt like she was going to be sick from the pain. She could not allow him to rape her. She could not bear this foul man's child.

Before she could register what was happening to her, Tau-Faasese very roughly forced his manhood inside of her. It hurt so bad, she felt like she was being ripped in half. He slammed into her several times before she finally passed out from the pain.

 _A/N Thanks for reading my story. Please leave reviews as I would really like to know if you are enjoying the story._


	6. Hide and Seek

A/N Another chapter. I really appreciatd reviews! This chapter alsomcontains a trigger warning that i have marked for reference.

Chapter 6 – Hide and Seek

Maui laid low in the cave until he was sure that it was night time. He listened at the cave entrance to see if he could hear anything. Once he was sure that he was alone, he moved the boulder that was protecting him from Faomea and slid into the darkness of the forest. He made his way to the opposite shore where Faomea was camped out.

It took him almost 30 minutes to reach the shore. When he arrived, he found an old, beaten up canoe. It had been through multiple storms and had a lot of damage. Maui would have to find a way to fix it up, and without being discovered. He walked cautiously along the shore looking for anything he could use to fix the canoe. He found some driftwood and carried it back to the cave. Morning was fast approaching and he did not want to be out in the sunlight where Faomea could easily find him.

Maui looked around and found a sharp rock that turned into a knife. He used the knife to whittle the pieces of driftwood into the right sizes and shapes needed to fix the canoe. That night, he took them back down to the canoe and put them where they were needed and found more. He continued this process for a few nights before he was done fixing the structure. Once the canoe was structurally sound, he started to work on the sail. He collected leaves from the coconut trees and wove the leaves into pieces that could be used as sails.

It took him a full cycle of the moon to get the canoe to where it would be safe to sail. The only hold up now was the moon. He did not want to sail out when the moon was full. He had no idea where Faomea was and he did not want to risk her seeing him leave. Every night for two more weeks he continued to make his preparations. He gathered food during the night under the shadows of the forest trees and during the day he rested and tried to make sure that he was fully healed.

Finally, the night came when it was time to leave. He cleared out as much evidence of his presence in the cave as possible and made his way carefully to the shore. He covered all his tracks as he went in the hopes that Faomea would not be able to follow him or discover what he had done or where he had been. He embarked on his canoe and set off away from the island. He was not sure where he was or where to go but he was sure that he could figure it out once he was safely out in the middle of the ocean, away from his island prison.

After he had been sailing for a couple of hours, he pulled the sail in so that he could stop and figure out where he was. He inspected the stars around him and realized that he was out in the middle of nowhere. He was just going to have to pick a direction and start sailing. He needed to figure out how he was going to get the locket of Mafui'e back from Faomea. He still had to protect the humans.

Suddenly, Maui knew what he needed to do first, but it was not going to be an easy task. First, he had to find his hook! He was not much good without it as it gave him his powers. Once he figured out where he needed to go, it was easy to pick a direction to sail. He would have to return to the entrance of Lalotai and sail in the direction he had flown when he fought Tamatoa. He knew it was a long shot but he had to try.

It took him three days before he finally knew where he was and another week to get to Lalotai from there. It was a good thing that he was a demigod and did not need as much sleep. When he finally reached Lolatai, he stopped for a few hours to get a little rest. He might not need as much sleep as humans but he still needed rest. He slept for the rest of the day and all night, waking and feeling refreshed the next morning. He gathered his food and what few supplies he had brought ashore and prepared his canoe once again to voyage across the ocean.

He traveled all day, headed once again toward Pele. The going was slow as he was searching for his hook as he went. Several times, he thought he saw it but when he dove to investigate, it was nothing but a shell. As darkness fell, he lowered the sail so that he would not drift far. He pulled out his knife and started to whittle on one of the pieces of wood he had brought with him. He did not think about what he was doing, he just carved. As the moon rose to its peak for the night, a blue glow came from the distance. It was a manta ray spirit and it stopped under his boat. As he watched, it turned into an old woman.

"Maui, you trickster, Moana needs you!" she said with a hint of laughter to her voice.

"Who are you?" Maui asked. He had never seen this woman before yet there was a familiarity about her. "And how do you know Moana?"

"I am Moana's grandmother. I watch over her from my home in the ocean. She has been looking for you to enlist your help in restoring the locket of Mafui'e. She had to return to Montonui to help her people but something has gone wrong. You must return to her and help her!"

"I don't have my hook!" he said at her in a frustrated tone. He immediately shrank back. He knew there was no reason for him to be acting the way he was. Moana's grandmother was not responsible for everything that was going wrong with him.

Gramma Tala walked over to where Maui was sitting against the mast with his face in his hands. She put her hand on his shoulder trying to comfort him.

"Maui, I know that you have been through much but so has Moana. Her island was destroyed in a great storm and she had to move her people away. Now, they have been attacked and she is being held captive. You must go to her and rescue all of them." Gramma Tala was pleading with him like she had never plead with anyone before.

Maui looked up at her with fear in his eyes. "Moana has been captured?" He could not believe that the strong girl who did so much for her family and village had been taken prisoner. She was so much stronger than that.

He stood up, let the sail out, and steered toward Montonui.

"She is no longer in that direction." Gramma Tala said with sympathy in her voice.

"Then where is she?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"I will show you the way, great Maui." With that, Gramma Tala dove back into the ocean, returning to her manta ray form the instant she hit the water. Maui turned the boat around and followed the glow that was Gramma Tala.

"Don't worry, Moana. I am coming to help you and your people!"

Maui followed Gramma Tala all night and by morning he had his bearings. While he was not positive exactly what island he was going to, he knew that he would know it when he found it. When he finally reached the island, the sun was going down. He saw that there were canoes surrounding the island and he knew for a fact that they did not belong to the people of Montonui.

He circled the island in a wide circle, hoping that he would not be seen. Finally, he came to a secluded part of the island and docked his boat. He lifted it out of the water and carried it to a bushy area and hid it among the foliage that was near to the ground.

A hawk calling out from the trees above him caught his attention. He looked up to see the hawk sitting in the highest branch of the tree looking down at him. He lifted his arm and the hawk flew down to him. Even though he was not in his hawk form, he could understand what the hawk was trying to tell him. Moana was being held in the chief's hut in the village and she was in immediate danger.

The hawk flew ahead of Maui, showing him how to get to the village. Maui's heart sank as he approached and saw the people of Montonui chained to the great tree in the middle of the village. Chief Tui and his wife were in a cage in front of the chief's hut. Maui was careful not to be seen by all the guards who were sitting around the bonfire enjoying their dinner. As he crept closer, he could hear Moana scream inside the hut. Maui's blood went cold at the sound. Chief Tui was holding his wife close, trying to keep their daughter's screams from reaching her ears.

It was all Maui could do to stay put and not charge into the village. He snuck around to the cage where Chief Tui and his wife were being held and unlocked the cage. He motioned them to head back the way he came. Maui then went toward the tree, still being careful not to be seen by the guards. He was able to break the lock off the chain connecting them all and he carefully helped everyone free. He then directed them to the edge of the woods where Chief Tui was waiting for them. Once everyone was free, he made his way to the Chief's hut. He hid in the bushes outside the window, bracing himself against the screams coming from inside. What Maui saw through the window just about killed him.

Trigger Warning!

A giant man, who looked a lot like Foamea, was towering over Moana. He was naked and his manhood was at attention. Moana lay on the floor, tied to the column in the middle of the room.

"Come here you little bitch!" he growled at her as he reached for her legs and pulled her to him. "I will make you mine and you will have my child and make me the chief of Montonui!" He roughly pushed a finger deep inside of her, causing her to scream. "You have never been touched by a man! The child I will place inside of you will undoubtedly be mine." He shoved his finger inside her several times, each time eliciting a scream from Moana. After he was sure that he had done as much damage as he could, he shoved his manhood into her, causing an even louder scream from Moana than she had let out to this point.

"Your screams just make this that much more enjoyable," he said in an evil way. He began slamming himself into her roughly while Moana just laid there sobbing, unable to do anything to stop the assault.

Finally, Maui could not take it. He ran in the hut and threw the man off Moana. Once Maui had him on the ground, he pounded his fists into the man, not caring what happened to the man.

"You will never touch her again!" Maui shouted at the man. He raised his fist one last time and knocked the man out right there on the floor. Maui wrapped Moana up in a blanket that was nearby and scooped her up to take her out of the hut. "I've got you, Princess. You are safe now."

Moana opened her eyes and looked up at Maui. Sobs wracked her body and Maui was heartbroken. How could anyone do this? He held her tighter as he walked toward the door.

"Wait!" Moana said in such a low voice that he almost did not hear her.

"What is it, Princess?"

Moana pointed to the chest that was under the window. "Your hook!"

Maui looked at her with a questioning look. "My hook?"

Moana nodded her head and leaned back into Maui. He carefully carried her across the floor to the chest and, while holding her close, he opened it up and saw the hook that Te Fiti had given to Moana. He took it quickly and headed toward the door. Before walking out with Moana, he gave the attacker one final kick in the balls.

"You will never touch another woman again!" he growled.

He slowly made his way around the hut, through the forest, and down to the shore. He handed Moana to her father and mother with a promise that he would return shortly. Maui turned back toward the village, hook in hand. He transformed into a giant hawk and flew the rest of the way. When he got there, the guards were trying to figure out what had happened while they were eating. Maui transformed back to his human form and grabbed the chain that had been holding the villagers. He gave it a mighty swing and it wound around all the guards. He promptly locked them all around the tree where their prisoners had been.

Next, he returned to the hut, ready for a fight. But the attacker was no longer there. Maui looked around frantically, trying to figure out where his adversary had gone. He ran back outside, transforming back into the hawk as he flew out the door. He took to the skies, looking all around for where he had gone. He was unable to see the man as there was a great storm on the horizon. Even if he was able to catch up with the evil bastard, he would never be able to see him. He turned and flew back to the villagers. He turned back into a man as he landed next to Moana and her parents.

"Chief Tui, I have locked up all the guards that were there but I was unable to catch the leader. I will leave first thing in the morning to pursue him."

"Thank you, Maui, hero to all," responded Chief Tui.

"Here, Chief. Let me take her," Maui said as he reached for Moana who had passed out in her father's arms. "You lead the people back to the village and deal with the prisoners there."

Chief Tui handed Moana over to Maui, being careful to keep her covered. Maui took her carefully and carried her back to the hut where he laid her down gently. He just looked down at her as her mother tended to her. She had changed since he had last seen her. She had turned into a woman. Her breasts had filled out as had her hips and butt. As he stood there looking at her, he felt a stirring within him. When he had last seen her, she had been just a girl and his best friend. Now? She was a woman who had been abused and he wanted nothing more than to pick her up and hold her close to him where nobody could ever hurt her again.


	7. Journey to Fomai

Chapter 7 - Journey to Fomai

It had been three days since Maui arrived at Montonui and Moana had still not woken up. Her mother had not left her side and had done everything within her power for her daughter but nothing seemed to help. Maui had been busy helping the people of Montonui get themselves put back together after the invasion. In the evenings, he would sit with Moana while her mother took some time for dinner. It killed him when he was sitting there looking at her.

On the fourth day, Maui decided that he could not wait any longer for her to wake up. It was killing her parents seeing her like this and the village needed them now more than ever. Maui sat beside her, watching her sleep. She was a beautiful sight. She had filled out in all the right places. Her hips were beautiful and her butt was exquisite. She had also gotten a couple of tattoos. She had the symbols on her right arm that showed her position as the next chief of her village, but his favorite of all was the hawk over her breasts. It was simply breathtaking! The muscles in her arms and legs were more pronounced, showing the strength that voyaging had given her. Her breath caught, startling him back to attention.

She was crying in her sleep again. She cried in her sleep almost nonstop. She was in shock from her rape and he wanted nothing more than to hold her and take away her pain. It was about time for her mother to return for the night and he was not ready to leave her side.

"Did she wake?" her mother asked from the doorway where she stood looking from him to Moana.

"No, she is still asleep, but crying again," Maui said as he fought the tears that were threatening to escape his own eyes. Her mother was also crying. This room had seen too many tears lately.

Suddenly, Maui had an idea. He knew who could help her. He needed to take her Fomai. She was the healer of heroes! Certainly, Moana counted as a hero and Fomai could heal her. Now he just had to convince her parents to let him take her.

"What has brought a smile to your face, Maui?" Sina asked him with a hint of hope in her voice.

"I think I know who can help her, but I would have to take her away from here!" Maui responded hesitantly.

Sina looked at him carefully for a few moments, noting the way he was looking at her daughter. There was something there that she had never seen in another man's eyes where her daughter was concerned. Never would she have thought that the demigod, Maui, would be the one to look at her daughter with wonder.

"Would you mind sitting here a little bit longer while I go and talk to her father?"

Maui did not even turn toward her as he nodded his head to indicate that he would stay. Sina quietly left the hut and went to find Tui. Maui slid closer to the mat where Moana was lying and tears were still streaming from her eyes. He reached out carefully and started tenderly stroking her hair. It was softer than he would have expected. As he was stroking her hair, she rolled over so her back was to him. He reached out with both hands and took all her hair in his hands and gently braided it.

Sina returned to the hut with Tui just as Maui had finished tying off her braid. She walked over to where Maui was sitting and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Maui," Chief Tui said quietly. "Sina has told me of your plan to take Moana away for help. We would be indebted to you if you were to restore her to us. Please take her with our blessing! If you will wait until the morning, we will prepare any canoe you wish and fill it with supplies for your journey."

Maui silently stood up and turned to face chief Tui. "Thank you so much, Chief. I promise that I will not give up until I have found help for her." Maui walked silently over to Chief Tui and nodded his thanks before making his way out the door to the hut he had been using.

First thing in the morning, as the sun was just coming up over the ocean, Chief Tui carried Moana to her canoe with her mother close behind. Moana's canoe was fully stocked with food for both of them as well as a few blankets and extra clothes. Chief Tui laid Moana on a pile of blankets that Sina had prepared. He leaned in and touched his head and nose to Moana's, giving her a Hongi.

"Come back soon, Daughter!" he whispered in her ear. He then stepped back so Sina could also say goodbye. After covering her daughter up with a blanket, she gave her a hongi and then turned to Maui.

"I know that you will take good care of her. There is no one else I would trust her with." With tears in her eyes, she gave Maui a hongi and then stepped aside. Maui nodded respectfully to Chief Tui then embarked on the canoe while several of the men who were gathered there pushed the canoe out into the water.

As Maui steered the canoe toward the island where he had left Fomai, he saw Toa in the sky above him, leading the way. Maui settled in for the long trip. He knew that he would have to stop along the way and yet he wanted nothing more than to get her there and as quick as possible. As he sailed, he became exasperated with himself. He would have much preferred to turn into a hawk and fly her there. He just did not know if he could make it the whole way there and then back again. Ever since his fight with Tomatoa, he had not had his normal strength. The more he thought about his "weakness," the more he cursed the crustacean.

After two long days of sailing, he decided it would be good to make landfall for the night so that he could rest and get Moana off the canoe for a bit. It did not matter that she had slept the whole way. He found a lush island and made landfall. He took some of the extra blankets and made a bed for Moana on top of a pile of palm leaves. He then carried her carefully to the bed and laid her down. How he loved the way she felt in his arms! He laid her down as gently as if she were made of glass and gave her a hongi before turning away to finish making camp. He started a fire in the middle of the little camp and made sure that she was warm before leaving in search of fresh water.

He did not have to walk very far before he found a crystal clear waterfall. He stripped of his skirt and dove into the water. He swam around for a bit, trying to ease his tense muscles. He would have given anything to be back in perfect health. Never in his nearly two thousand years had he ever been weak! After several minutes of swimming around, it occurred to him that it might be a good idea to bring Moana to the pool to cool her off and relax her muscles. He jumped out of the pool and put his skirt back on before running back to the camp. He was grateful to find Toa sitting on a rock near her head, watching over her as she slept.

He picked her up carefully and carried her back to the pool. It had been nearly a week since her attack and she had lost a lot of weight there was no way to feed her. She felt so tiny in his arms that it scared him.

"I will have you to Fomai soon, Princess. I promise!" he whispered in her hair.

When they got to the pool, he walked slowly into the pool, supporting her head so it stayed above the surface of the water. He walked around with her, allowing the water to move as freely as possible around her body. With one hand holding her, he used his other hand to release her hair from the braid. He ran his fingers through her exquisite curls and massaged her scalp gently. After nearly half an hour of soaking in the pool, Maui lifted Moana carefully out of the water and carried her back to camp. He sat down and cradled her in his lap while he wrung the water from her hair and put it into a braid once more. He then gave her a hug and laid her down on the bed he had made for her.

Maui wasn't going to lie to himself. It was a long night. He knew he needed the rest and he was thankful for the clear night, but he could not fall asleep. He was so worried about his princess. Maui gave his head a violent shake.

"She is not yours, you jackass! She has been through a rough ordeal and will not think of any man in that way. Not to mention the fact that you are a demigod and she is a mortal." Maui was talking to himself quietly, even though he wanted to yell at himself. He looked over to where Moana was sleeping and noted that she looked more peaceful than she had up to this point. The water in the pool must have done her some good. He quietly got up from where he was laying across the fire from her, and made his way through the forest to the beach on the opposite side of the island. He walked up to a tree that had a large trunk on it and punched it with everything he had in him. The tree came crashing down toward him but Maui was faster than the tree and easily dodged it as it landed right where he had just been standing. He then transformed into the great hawk and flew as high as he could and yelled as loud as he could.

He had never felt like this about any mortal before and not being able to take away her pain was eating him alive. He would find the bastard that did this to her and he would make him pay! He quickly dove back down toward the earth and landed just a few yards from the little camp where she was still sleeping. He walked over to where she was to make sure that she was still warm. Once he was sure that she was still okay, he ran as fast as he could to the shore close by and turned into a shark as he dove into the water. He swam around for nearly two hours before he finally found what he was searching for. He grabbed the oyster in his mouth carefully and swam back to shore.

When he got back to the island, he stowed the oyster in the cargo hold along with a bit of wood that he collected from one of the trees. He really needed to get some rest before morning arrived and it was time to head out once again.

The next morning, he cleaned up the camp in silence before fixing Moana's bed on the canoe. He picked her up as carefully as he could and carried her back to their canoe. Once he was sure that she was settled, he loaded the rest of their items onto the canoe and set off once again for Fomai.

As the sun began to set that evening, Maui saw dark clouds approaching them. He looked around frantically, trying to figure out how to secure Moana so that she did not roll off of the canoe or get injured in any way during the storm. He finally tied her carefully to the mast of the canoe. It pained him to have to do it but her safety was more important.

The storm came at them in a fury. It took most of the demigod's strength to navigate through the storm which lasted all night and into the next day. Finally, around midday, the storm dissipated and Maui was able to relax again. He probably should stop again for the night, but he had no idea where they were. The storm had really turned them around.

"I thought you were her friend," he growled at the ocean. "I **HAVE** to get her to Fomai. Are you going to help or not?"

The ocean did not move and Maui gave up hope on getting help. He looked around for a while, trying to figure out where the sun was going when the canoe seemed to turn itself around. Maui looked around to see where the breeze had come from and realized that it was the ocean helping him. He went over to Moana to untie her and make her comfortable again before sitting back down at the helm with a sigh of relief.

The ocean carried the canoe until twilight. Maui jumped to his feet when he finally saw their destination up ahead. They had arrived!

"Go make sure that it is safe for her," Maui said to Toa. He would have gone himself but someone needed to protect Moana in case there was trouble. It was only a few minutes before the hawk came back and gave the signal that the island was safe. As the canoe approached the island, Maui saw Fomai standing on the shore, waiting for them to arrive.

"Please, I need you to heal her!" Maui begged with tears in his eyes. The strength of his emotions caught Maui off guard. A mortal held his heart and he was holding her nearly lifeless body in his arms. Maui had never been so scared in his life!


	8. Tears and Fears

_Sorry for the delay. I am working on my bachelors through online courses and just tested for my second-degree black belt. Needless to say, life has been crazy! Anyways, here you go!_

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Tears and Fears

Moana slowly opened her eyes. She had no idea where she was. She did not even know if she was safe. As the memories of what had happened started to come back to her, she began to shake uncontrollably as sobs wracked her body. Where was her attacker and how long until he would return?

"You are safe! There is no need to worry. We will not let anything happen to you."

Moana looked around to see where the voice had come from. She knew it belonged to an older woman, in fact, it reminded her of Gramma Tala. Finally, she made eye contact with the elderly woman.

"Where am I?" Moana asked, unable to keep the fear out of her voice.

"You are on the Island of Fomai," the kindly woman informed her.

Moana lay there quietly, trying to remember where she had heard that name before. It hurt her head to try and figure it out.

"You need to eat," Fomai informed Moana. Almost as if on cue, Moana's stomach began to growl, letting her know that she needed sustenance. Fomai brought a bowl of soup over to Moana and started to feed her when Maui walked up and reached for the bowl.

"Here, let me!" he said quietly.

"Maui?" Moana asked in disbelief.

"Hey there, Princess!" he responded gently. "You gave me quite the scare."

Moana just looked up at him. It had been 15 years since she had seen him. As she sat looking at him, she could tell it was him, and yet he had changed. He had thinned out some and his muscles were even more pronounced than they had been before. He had a couple of new tattoos that she would have to ask him about. She studied his eyes and saw the concern they held and it broke her heart knowing that she was the reason for it.

"I'm ok, Maui."

"Eat!" Fomai demanded.

Maui gently lifted the spoon to her mouth and she gulped it down without hesitation. It did not take long for her to finish the bowl.

"How do you feel now?" Maui asked with a smile.

"Better. But you know what would make me feel even better? A swim!"

"You cannot swim yet. You need to gain more strength and get more rest." Fomai did not keep her opinion to herself. "You were cursed when the evil Tau-Faasese raped you. You are weak from the curse and need more rest. If you are a good patient, then tomorrow you may go to the water and bathe."

Moana opened her mouth to protest but suddenly she was too tired so she instead laid back down and gave in to the sleep that was beckoning her.

It was two more days before Moana woke up to the feeling of a hand stroking her head. She laid there and savored the feeling for several minutes before she finally smelled the stew that was cooking nearby. She opened her eyes and saw that Maui was the one stroking her hair. He smiled down at her gently.

"Finally decided to wake up, Princess?" he asked gently.

Moana shrank back from him upon hearing the name Princess. "That is what Tau-Faasese called me when he attacked me!" she said with a shaky voice.

"Oh, Moana. I am so sorry!" he said gently as he slowly reached for her slowly. She shrank back from him ever so slightly. It did not matter that it was Maui reaching for her. This was a large man who could easily have his way with her and she would be powerless to stop him. She started shaking uncontrollably as she pushed away from him. He jumped back quickly to give her some space just as Fomai came over.

"You're safe, dear," she said as she walked up to Moana and grabbed her into a gentle hug. "Maui brought you here to save your life. He means you no harm." Fomai's voice reminded Moana of Gramma Tala and suddenly Moana could not hold the sobs back any longer. She melted into Fomai's embrace and let all the fear and pain come pouring out. She did not even notice when Maui grabbed his hook, turned into the great hawk, and flew away.

Moana sat there for what seemed like forever as she let herself grieve over the events of the past month. So much had happened to her, to her people, to Maui. It all came gushing out in the form of sobs on the shoulder of Fomai. Fomai just sat there holding the broken woman in her arms and let her sob until there was nothing left.

Finally, Moana found the strength to compose herself. Fomai gently released her and walked back to the pot of stew that was simmering over the fire. She scooped some out into a bowl and brought it over to Moana.

"You need to eat so you can get your strength back, dear one." She handed the bowl to Moana who ate it slowly. Just then, the great hawk, Maui, landed on the shore a short distance away from where she was sitting. He looked at her carefully, trying to decide if it was safe for him to approach her.

"Sit down!" Fomai commanded him. Knowing that she could take him if he disobeyed, he made his way over to the small campsite and sat across the fire from Moana. He accepted the bowl of stew that Fomai offered him and ate hungrily, watching Moana cautiously as she ate.

Moana tried not to look at Maui. He scared her! She wished that was not the case. In fact, she wanted him next to her. She took a couple more bites of the stew then looked back over at him.

"Maui," she said quietly. "Would you please come sit beside me?"

He looked at her questioningly. He needed to be sure that she really wanted him that close to her. She looked so scared and it was breaking his heart. Finally, he gathered his food and his hook and slowly made his way over to sit next to her.

Moana kept her eyes on her bowl of stew. She wanted him there but was not sure she could look at him. She was ashamed! She was ashamed of how much her dear friend scared her. She was ashamed of what had happened to her. She felt dirty and worthless. Tears started falling into her bowl of stew. She was a disappointment to her family, a failure to her village, and the worst friend ever to one of the most important people in her life.

Maui slowly reached his hand out to her, offering to take her stew from her hands. She handed her bowl to him and he set it down on the ground next to him. She had turned away from him in an attempt to hide her tears from him. He gently rubbed her back to let her know that he was there. He knew that there were no words he could offer her that would make any kind of a difference.

Suddenly, she launched herself into his lap. She needed him. She was not strong enough to handle this on her own. Maui held her close trying to infuse his strength into her. Fomai came over after several minutes of allowing them some privacy and whispered into Maui's ear.

"Take her to the hot springs. Sit with her in the water and let it flow around her body. It will help her to relax. I will be along shortly with some stew and a couple of blankets."

Maui gently raised himself off the ground without jostling Moana once. He quietly walked to the hot spring that was not far off. When he got there, he gently stepped into the pool and settled himself on the stone bench that had been hewn out in the pool. He situated Moana on his lap so that the water could surround her completely. Little by little, he felt her relax into his arms.

Moana felt the water flow around her weary body. She slowly felt herself relax. Before long, she realized that Maui was holding her, protecting her from the world around her. He was protecting her from her demons. Her hero! She nestled her head into the crook of his neck and felt him relax as she did.

"I'm sorry for earlier!" she whimpered.

"Oh, Moana. I would never have called you that had I known. I would never do something like that to you on purpose." He slowly worked her hair out of the braid and ran his fingers through it so that the water would permeate it. He then worked his way up to her scalp and began to massage it.

"That feels nice Maui. Thank you!" she practically purred at him. At that moment, she realized that Maui did not really scare her. In fact, she felt safe. She did not want him to leave again. She wanted him to stay with her. She needed him. "Don't leave!" she begged.

Maui just pulled her closer to his chest and kissed the top of her head. "I will never leave you again," he whispered.

Fomai chose that moment to come around the bend in the path with the food and blankets. Maui placed another kiss on Moana's head then gently lifted her out of the spring. He carried her over to the makeshift bed that Fomai had made and set Moana down on it. He then sat down next to her so she could lean against him as she ate the stew that Fomai offered to her.

"Where did you go?" Moana asked as she worked on her bowl of stew.

"What do you mean?" Maui asked, slightly confused.

"After I yelled at you, you flew away. Where did you go?" She was almost in tears again as she asked. She was beginning to think that she would never stop crying.

"I flew away to search the seas for the bastard that did this to you!" he said as gently as he could. He did not want to scare her again but anytime he thought of Tau-Faasese his blood boiled.

"Did you find anything?"

"No!" he growled in response. "But I promise you that I will find him and make him pay!"

Moana nestled into him more as she finished her stew. Maui just rubbed her back as she ate, unwilling to release physical contact with her. When Moana was done eating, Fomai took her bowl and Maui gently stood up.

"Do you think you can walk with Maui's help?" Fomai asked.

"I can try. I feel pretty weak so I do not know how far I will make it."

"I will catch you if you stumble," Maui reassured her. He reached his hand out to her and she took it. He gently pulled her to her feet then offered her his arm to hold onto. With his other hand, he picked up the blankets and threw them over his shoulder. The trio slowly made their way through the jungle until they came back to their little camp.

"Will you take me to the beach?" Moana asked Maui.

"Anything for you, Penina," he whispered to her. He found himself whispering a lot as he was afraid his voice would scare her. He walked her slowly over to the beach and helped her get settled on a large rock that was nearby. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

"I think I would like some alone time please."

Maui leaned in to kiss the top of her head and then silently walked off, giving her some space but never taking his eyes off her.

Moana simply sat and watched as the sun set over the ocean. She did not know how long she sat there. She was simply reliving the series of events that had led her here. As she sat there, the ocean came up and washed over her feet. Nobody liked seeing the great hero Moana in the state she was in. As she sat staring at the moon, she realized just how utterly exhausted she was. Even though she had done nothing but sleep for the last couple of weeks, she was ready for bed. She slowly rose to her feet and before she could take a step, Maui was there with his arm stretched out to her so he could help her back to camp.

Fomai had already prepared the camp for sleep and was laying on her little bed off to one side of the fire. Maui helped Moana to her bed and made sure she was comfortable before he leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "Sleep well, Moana."

Moana woke up to the sound birds chirping around her. She sat up slowly and realized that she felt better now than she had in weeks. She did not know if it was the sleep, the hot spring, or the stew. She looked around and saw Maui helping Fomai gather fruit. She was enraptured by the sight of him. He was so muscular and yet so gentle. Something stirred deep inside her as she watched her gentle giant of a man help the feeble looking old woman.

She was in love with Maui!

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 _A/N: Please share the love. Let me know what you think! I love feedback and I will try to post more as we go._


	9. Breathless

_A/N This chapter has a couple of lemons and sets the stage for the next which will have several lemons in it. As always, reviews are appreciated._

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Chapter 9 – Breathless

It had been a week since Moana had woken up and Maui had felt relieved ever since. She was going to be ok. He did not realize just how worried he had been until he felt the weight leave his shoulders. Never in all his long life had he felt the way he had when she was unresponsive. It was somewhere along the way when they were sailing to Fomai's island that he had realized what was different. He was in love with this woman! Every time he thought about it, his heart would start racing. He could not help it.

He walked back to the small clearing where he saw her helping Fomai fix the stew that had brought healing to both. He smiled as he watched her walk around. She had this very sexy sway to her hips. It had to be due to her years of dancing. He watched as she reached for a stalk of bananas that was just out of her reach. He was right there and lifting her up so she could reach them before he even realized what he was doing.

"Maui!" she squealed in delight as he lowered her back down to the ground. He turned her to look at him.

"Would you be up for a short walk?" he asked.

Moana looked over to Fomai who was trying unsuccessfully to hide her smile.

"Go, child. The stew will be ready when you return."

Maui held his hand out to Moana who took it shyly. They had not discussed their relationship yet but they both felt that things had changed.

"How are you feeling?" Maui asked cautiously.

Moana stopped in her tracks and looked him in the face. "I am truly feeling great! It is all thanks to Fomai," she bowed her head and whispered, "and you!"

Maui lifted her face to his and looked deep into her eyes. "You're welcome!" he sang with a smirk on his face.

"Why do you ask?" Moana asked nervously. Was Maui going to leave her now that she was well? It would break her heart!

Maui heard the sorrow in her voice and saw it on her face. She thought he was leaving her!

"Moana, I will never leave you!"

"How can you say that? You are a demigod and have responsibilities."

"That is why I was asking how you feel. I think it is time for us to move on. Fomai has informed me that you are well enough to travel and I want to take you with me to find and restore the locket of Mafui'e and to track down that bastard Tau-Faasese and make him pay for what he did to you."

Maui kept looking into her eyes, willing her to see the sincerity in his own eyes. He wanted her to come with him. No, he needed her! If she were to leave him, he would not be able to breathe again. She had become everything to him. He just hoped she felt the same way.

"When do we leave?"

Before he had a chance to think about what he was doing, he scooped her up into his arms and began to kiss her. After a couple of seconds, he caught himself and started to pull away only to realize that she was kissing him back. With a groan, he pulled her closer to him and began to deepen the kiss. She started nibbling on his lip and he just about came unglued. What that woman could do to him was incredible!

Their kiss lasted forever and yet was broken too soon by the sound of Toa overhead. Maui pulled away from Moana and looked up at the sky. He quickly set Moana down and ran back to camp where his hook was. As soon as he touched the hook, he transformed into the giant hawk and took to the skies to see what Toa was going on about. He circled the island several times, each time widening the circle.

Something or someone was out there. He could sense them. But no matter how carefully he looked, he could not find anything. After a dozen or more times around the island, he dove back to the camp to make sure Moana was alright. She and Fomai were sitting around the fire pit, watching him as he flew around the island.

"Did you see anything?" Fomai asked casually.

"I could not find a single thing." Maui tossed his hook to the side in defeat. "Moana and I have talked and we will be leaving just as soon as we can get everything together."

"I think that is a perfect idea. Neither of you needs me anymore but you know where to find me if you need to in the future." With that, she stood and walked over to Moana and gave her a hongi. She then turned to Maui. "Take care of her!" With that, Fomai walked toward the forest.

Moana stood up and walked toward Maui. "When do we leave?"

He gave her a quick side hug and then they both set to work packing up the canoe with supplies. Within an hour, they were on the ocean.

"Where are we going?" Moana asked Maui as she watched his muscles bulge under the strain they were under as he guided to canoe.

"I need to take you back to Montonui where you will be safe while I hunt down Tau-Faasese."

Moana stood abruptly and shouted, "You will NOT take me home and leave me! You promised that you would not leave me!" Tears were streaming down her face before she was finished yelling at Maui.

He jumped up and grabbed her into a tight embrace. She balled her hands into fists and tried to punch him. He was holding her so tight she could not even move her hands.

"Penina, I can't lose you! It will kill me!" He was pleading with everything in him for her to understand what he was trying to tell her. He was just trying to protect her!

"If you want to protect me, then you will have to take me with you! That is the only way that YOU can protect me."

Maui burst into laughter at her logic. She was right after all. Just look at what had happened the last time he had left her. She had been captured and raped and it had almost killed her. He leaned down and took her mouth with his own. He wanted to kiss her tenderly but she wanted none of it. She started kissing him deeply, their tongues playing tag. He lifted her into his arms and as he did, she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. She would not let go, she was determined.

Maui started rubbing one hand up and down her back. Slowly, he slid his hand under the wrap that restrained her breasts. He had to taste them. He undid her wrap and it fell to the canoe floor. He pushed her back far enough that he could get a good look at them. They were perfect. He quickly took one into his mouth and began to suck on it. As he did, she leaned her head back and started moaning. That was his undoing. He wanted her here and now. He set her down with the intention of taking her then and there but as soon as he opened his eyes, he remembered they were in a canoe.

"Not here!" he said gruffly as he went back to the rear of the canoe so he could make sure they stayed on course.

Moana stood there shocked at how quickly he had dismissed her! Jerk! She snatched her wrap up and fastened it around her as fast as she could. She then threw herself down against the mast with tears in her eyes. How could he do that to her?

"Moana? I am not saying no. I am taking you to shore so we can do this right." Something about the tone of his voice made her heart skip a beat. He wanted her!

Maui laughed to himself as he watched his woman sit there and pout for a minute before realizing that she was being prematurely immature. Once she realized that he did, in fact, still want her, she carefully stood up and came up in front of him as he steered the canoe. She sat in front of him with her back facing him and scooted back so that she was sitting between his legs. His breath caught in his lungs as he caught the smell of her. To make matters worse, she took her wrap back off!

Maui groaned as he tried to ignore what was in front of him, as well as his body's response to what she was doing to him. He willed the wind to pick up so they would reach their destination faster. After only an hour, Maui was so flustered at the lack of wind to push them along. He finally pulled Moana closer to him and started kissing her neck. She melted into him and his kisses. She smelled so divine. He would never be able to get enough of her.

He used his free hand to adjust her so that he could reach up under her skirt easily. He slowly ran his hand up and down her leg, going just a little bit higher with each pass. When he first brushed his finger across her opening, she jumped and tensed up. He stilled his hand and leaned in to kiss her neck more and whisper in her ear.

"I will NEVER hurt you, Moana. You will only ever receive love from me." He moved his hand so that it was around her waist and he held her there until she finally relaxed.

"I'm sorry, Maui. I want it, really I do. I just had a panic attack for a moment but I know that you will not hurt me."

Maui kissed her ear and slowly worked his way down her neck. He slid his hand down her waist to her thigh and slowly worked his way to her knee before bringing his hand back up toward her opening. She melted into him more and nestled her head against his chest. He did small, feather-light circles around her opening with his finger. Moana moaned. He felt her twitch as he lightly brushed the little nub that was begging for attention.

He needed to show her what it felt like to be loved, not used. He gradually applied more pressure to the little nub as he drew circles around it. He could feel the moisture increasing in her opening.

"Maui, don't stop!" she pleaded with him, breathless from the intense pleasure she was receiving. This is what was missing in her life. Someone to complete her! Someone to love her for who she was. Suddenly, the pleasure became so great she could hardly stand it. She began to moan as she felt the pleasure increase inside of her. Just when she thought she could not take any more, Maui gently slid his finger into her opening.

Moana gasped for air. This was so different from what she had been subjected to and boy did it feel good. Maui loved her. He loved her! And she felt it with every touch, every stroke of his finger inside of her, every kiss he placed on her neck. It was too much! Now his fingers were doing double duty, one inside of her, one drawing circles around her nub, his lips on her neck.

Moana screamed out as the pleasure sent her over the edge. It felt like it lasted forever. Maui withdrew his fingers from where they had been working and he grabbed her breast in his hand and began to massage it. After a couple of minutes, he switched to the other one. Moana very quickly reached another climax. When it had subsided, she leaned heavily against Maui's chest trying to catch her breath.

"I love you, Penina!"

"I love you too, Hero!" With that, she melted against his chest and fell into a peaceful sleep.

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 _A/N: Please let me know what you think of this chapter. Would you like to see more or is it too much. Any and all input is appreciated!_


	10. Feast

Chapter 10 - Feast

Moana woke up abruptly from a deep sleep. She jumped and looked around frantically before she realized where she was. The stars were high in the sky and Maui was holding onto her and caressing her neck with his kisses. They were on the canoe in the middle of the ocean. As soon as she realized that her Hero was holding her and protecting her from the evils of the world, she relaxed into his firm embrace. She felt the tears welling up behind her eyes.

"What's wrong, my love?" Maui whispered gently into her ear. She bit her lip as she tried unsuccessfully to keep the teas at bay.

"I dreamed about him again," she barely got out through the lump in her throat. She could not breathe! She started shaking uncontrollably. The bastard had raped her! She would never be whole again. She would never be able to live without fear. She tried to take calming breaths so Maui would not know how scared she was.

Maui was not fooled. He had felt her stiffen up in her sleep. He had held her tighter as the whimpers followed. He knew what she was dreaming about as she began to cry out loud. He was unable to wake her from her nightmare. All he had been able to do was whisper messages of love into her ear and kiss her neck, willing her to feel that he was there. After what had seemed like an eternity, she woke herself with a scream.

"You were remembering your assault." It was not a question. He was stating the obvious. His voice was so tender, his touch so protective, she could no longer hold the tears back.

She sobbed into the crook of his arm. He merely sat there, holding the woman he loved as she finally allowed all the built-up emotion to make an exit. It was several hours before she was finally able to stop crying. She finally managed to look up into Maui's eyes and saw the trail on his cheeks from where he had been crying with her.

"I'm alright now," she whispered to Maui. "You are holding me and nothing and no one can hurt me." She kissed his arm, attempting to comfort him.

"You really scared me," he whispered with a shaky voice. "I thought that maybe you had taken all you could and this is how I would lose you."

She attempted to turn toward him but his hold was too tight for her to move.

"Maui," she whispered.

The sound of his name seemed to break him out of the trance that had held him captive. He released her enough so that she could turn toward him.

"I would have lost it if you had not been here for me. You are still my hero!" She pulled his head down and placed a light kiss on his mouth. That was all it took for Maui and he suddenly had her sitting in his lap as he deepened the kiss. He kissed her with all his might, willing her to take all the strength he was offering her.

"I will always be there for you, Moana!" he declared when he finally came up for air.

"Care for a swim?" she asked with a sly grin on her face.

Maui looked at her for a brief second before suddenly standing up and tossing Moana into the water. As soon as she hit the water, he picked up his hook and jumped into the air, transforming into a whale that sent Moana floating several feet away from the canoe. Maui could become a fish, they did not have to worry about how far away the canoe floated.

He swam a few large circles around Moana before transforming into sharkehead Maui. He wrapped his arms around her and took her under the surface for a swim. At this moment, Moana felt more alive than she had in months. Maui was careful to make sure she got enough air before diving down again. They swam around like this for more than an hour before Maui decided that it was time to return to the canoe and head back toward Montonui.

It was dusk six days later when they finally reached Montonui. They had stocked enough supplies before leaving Fomai that they did not need to stop once. As they reached the beach, Moana could hear her mother's voice.

"Moana!" she cried as she ran toward the beach with her arms stretched out, ready to catch Moana in a hug. "I am so glad that you are ok."

"Maui took me to Fomai and she healed me. Oh, mama, it is so good to see you again, and not in a cage."

Maui came up behind Moana and put his hand on the small of her back, a gentle reminder that he was right there. This intimate gesture did not escape her mother's notice.

Sina released her daughter and reached for the demigod to hug him. "You saved her life. We will forever be in your debt."

"You're welcome," he responded gently. "I could not have lived with myself if she had not made it."

Sina grabbed her daughter's arm and led her to the village. "We must go see your father at once. He must see that you are alive."

They walked back up to where the village was situated. As soon as Moana saw her father, she released her hold on her mother and ran to her father.

"Moana!" he yelled as he wrapped his arms around his daughter. "I am so happy to see that you are alive and well."

As her father held on to her, she could hear the villagers relaying the message to each other that Moana was alive and home.

"You must allow us to hold a feast in your honor," Chief Tui said to his daughter and the demigod who was standing protectively close by. "It is the least we can do for the one who saved our village and my daughter."

Maui looked at Moana then back to chief Tui. "I would be honored."

"You must let us present you with a new skirt, one befitting the hero that you are!" Sina begged.

"How can I refuse the chief's wife?" Maui responded with a chuckle. He leaned over to whisper to Moana. "See you soon, Penina!"

With that, Maui allowed Sina to lead him away to get him ready for the feast.

"You have chosen well, Moana!" Tui said to his daughter.

"What? What do you mean I have chosen well, dad?"

"Maui is a great man and he will take great care of you!"

Moana looked at her dad and saw a tear in the corner of his eye. There was no question what he was referring to. Chief Tui knew that his daughter was hopelessly in love with the demigod, and the demigod was hopelessly in love with Moana. They were meant for each other. Who was he to stand in their way?

Moana closed the distance to her dad and he grabbed her into a giant hug. "I am so glad that you are back safe and that you have found someone who will take good care of you. I love you, Moana and know that you will be well cared for the rest of your life."

"Thank you, dad."

"Now, go get ready for the feast tonight. You want to look your best for your village and your man."

Moana smiled up at her dad and then headed to her hut to get ready for the feast. She did her hair up into an elaborate braid then put on her ceremonial skirt and headdress. She added her chief necklace and was just getting ready to walk out when her mother came in the door to her hut.

"You are so beautiful, Moana. Maui is a very lucky man!"

Sina gathered Moana into a hug and held her tight. "I just got you back, but I am about to lose you again."

"Mom, you are not going to lose me!" Moana responded adamantly.

"No, I have already lost you, to the man you dressed up for. He loves you, I can see it in the way he is around you. And you love him!" It was not a question and Moana did not even try to deny it.

A shadow fell over the room from the door. Moana looked up and her heart skipped a beat. Her hero was standing there, waiting to escort her to the feast.

"I am going to meet your father. I will see you in a few minutes." The second statement had been directed to Maui. "The people are waiting to honor their hero, do not keep them waiting too long!" With that, Sina ducked out of the hut.

Maui took a step toward Moana. She was breathtaking in all her chiefly splendor. He reached his hand out to her and she gingerly reached for him. She was looking him over as intensely and he was her. The heat in their gazes could have burnt down the hut. Moana had an on elegantly embroidered top that enhanced the hawk tattoo over her breast. The skirt she wore was just as elegant with embroidered hawks flying along the bottom. Both items of clothing were a red orange color that reminded Maui of the sunset. Her headdress has feathers that were the same color on it along with a myriad of flowers in red, orange, yellow, and white. She had also woven a handful of the flowers into the intricate braid that was her hair.

Maui had been given an elegantly embroidered skirt as well. His had fish hooks embroidered along the bottom and was the same colors as Moana's. It was almost as if they had known that the couple were together. The headdress he was wearing had the same color feathers but instead of flowers contained elegant seashells and shark teeth to match the necklace her never went without. His hair had been tamed into a bunch of small braids. Moana could not get her fill of looking at him. He truly looked like a demigod.

Moana reached for Maui's outstretched hand and did a couple of twirls so Maui could get a good view of her as she walked toward him. He gathered her roughly into his arms and kissed her hard. It was a couple of moments before either of them broke the kiss.

"The village is waiting for us!" Moana reminded him.

"Let them wait!" was Maui's husky reply.

"My dad will come looking for us." Moana chuckled at Maui's response.

"Ok, let's go then!" He grabbed her hand and led her out of the hut. Hand in hand, the walked down the hill to the village center. As soon as they were spotted, the village let out a collective cheer. Maui and Moana joined Chief Tui and Sina at the Chief's table and the four sat down together. Once the rest of the village had settled down and found their seats, Chief Tui stood up to address those who were gathered.

"Tonight, we celebrate!"

Everyone cheered at the Chief's obvious statement.

"Tonight, we celebrate not only the return of Moana, but also the hero who has returned her to us, the great Maui!"

Another collective cheer rang out across the gathering. Suddenly, the women began to bring out all the food. Food was brought to the chief's table. The table was loaded down so heavily that it seemed as if it might break under the weight of all the food. After all had eaten their fill, the villagers took turns performing elegant dances in honor of their guest. After several dances, a young girl shyly approached Moana and whispered something into her ear. Moana smiled down at the little girl, took her hand, and led her out to the open area. Several other children gathered around as well and they performed the special dance they had made up during the disastrous storm.

Maui was mesmerized. The sway of her hips was absolutely mesmerizing. The footwork was elegant, and the hand gestures matched. Her skirt blew around her curves and Maui thought he was going to burst from watching her. She was so beautiful!

"You love her, don't you?" Sina asked.

All Maui could do was nod his head. He was suddenly aware of the tears streaming down his face. "I almost lost her!"

Sina stood up a walked over to stand behind Maui and put her hands gently on his shoulders. They were shaking with his sobs at this point. Luckily no one noticed as the village was in a trance as they watched Moana's delicate dance with the children.

"We did almost lose her. But you saved her! Her father and I will forever be in your debt," Sina consoled Maui.

"She is lucky to have you in her life," Tui said. "We do not care who you are, simply that you are the one she has chosen. You have our blessing if you desire to take her as your own."

Maui stood up, turned to chief Tui, and knelt on one knee.

"I promise to love her until my last breath!"

"I know! Now, why don't you go tell her the good news?" Chief Tui encouraged.

Maui stood up, gave the chief a hug, then turned toward Moana. She was finishing her dance when he approached her. He reached for her hand, drew her to him, and kissed her in front of all who were gathered.

"Will you marry me?" he whispered into her hair.

Moana looked up into the face of her hero, tears streaming down her face.


	11. Taking Chances

11 – Taking Chances

Moana looked up into Maui's face. Tears started streaming down her face.

Moana reached for Maui's hand. "Come with me!"

Maui nodded, unable to speak past the lump in his throat. She was going to reject him!

Moana led Maui away from the people, through the trees, and toward the lagoon. When they got there, Moana let go of Maui's hand. She walked over next to a large stone and took off her headdress. She proceeded to slowly unwrap her top, exposing her exquisite breasts. Maui stood there, shocked at what was going on as she turned her back to him and unwrapped her skirt. Maui's breath caught in his throat. She was standing in front of him, completely naked. Without looking back at him, she walked to the edge of the pool and dove in.

"Are you just going to just stand there all day?"

The sound of her voice snapped him out of his trance. He quickly dropped the headdress and skirt and dove in after her. She was swimming around and he caught up with her quickly. He reached out and grabbed her. As soon as he grabbed her, she wiggled in his arms and started splashing him. He wrapped his arms around her arms, so she could no longer splash him. He then buried his face into her neck and started kissing her. He started behind her ear, nibbling the edge of it, kissing behind it, sucking on it. The trail of kisses then went down her neck. He lightly bit her shoulder then licked the spot where he had bitten her. He continued to kiss her down to the edge of her right breast.

"Maui!" she whispered. "We need to talk."

"Then why are you naked?" he breathed against her skin. He was holding her to him with one hand and used his free hand to grab her breast and start kneading it.

"I want you!"

"I'm yours!" He leaned into her and kissed her hard. He was almost rough in his kissing. After a couple of moments, he finally released her, leaving her breathless. "Marry me!" It was not a question.

"Yes!" she whispered.

He reached his hand under her ass and gave it a squeeze. He started kissing her even harder than before. She could feel his manhood pressing against her. She had a sudden aching between her legs. Suddenly, memories of her rape came flashing through her mind. She tensed up and pushed Maui away from her.

"O, Moana! I love you and I will not hurt you! I swear!"

Moana took a few calming breaths. "I know that in my head, but my heart does not trust my head."

"Moana, I will not rape you. Let me make love to you! Let me show you how much I love you."

Moana gazed into Maui's eyes for several minutes before reaching out to him again. "Make love to me?"

Maui did not need any more encouragement. He placed a few tender kisses on top of Moana's head, holding her tenderly in his arms. She looked up into his eyes, the remnants of her tears still there for him to see. He moved his kisses to her neck, tenderly working his way down to her shoulder, her back, around to her breasts. The gently sucked on her taut nipples. He could feel the desire in her body. She simply needed to let go and let him show her what it was like to have someone make love to her.

He loved her so much, he ached on the inside. He wanted to take away all the hurt she had suffered. He wanted her to trust him to love her, not hurt her. He continued his trail of kisses down her belly. As Maui trailed kisses down her body, she clung to his broad shoulders, allowing him to keep her head above water. He carried her over to the natural stone bench on the edge of the pool and sat down, settling her on his lap. He looked deep into her eyes, willing her to trust him completely.

He took possession of her mouth once more, his tongue pressing for permission to enter. She gave it. He kissed her with everything he had in him. He had to check himself to be sure he did not become rough. He wanted, no, he needed her so badly, but he could not rush this.

Moana Slowly felt herself relax in Maui's capable hands. This was her hero, he would not let anything bad happen to her. She loved him with everything in her and she wanted this. She just did not seem to be able to turn off the nerves. Despite how wonderful it felt to be in Maui's arms, she began shaking in fear yet again.

Maui pulled back and looked at her.

"Don't stop!" she whispered to Maui.

Maui slid his hand slowly down the outside of her thigh and brought it around to the inside. He gently rubbed the outside of her most intimate parts, not rushing anything. Moana bucked her hips toward him, wordlessly encouraging him to do more. Maui gathered Moana into his arms and carried her out of the pool, laying her on a pile of palm leaves on the edge of the pool.

"Are you sure, Penina?"

"Make love to me!" she demanded softly.

Maui stroked himself a few times then lowered himself over Moana and nudged the tip of his manhood against her opening. He paused, wanting to be sure that he was not going to hurt her.

Moana bit her lip as she gazed into Maui's eyes. Her heart was screaming at her that this was Maui, he would never hurt her. But her head was replaying the memory of her rape not that long ago. She started shaking violently. Maui pushed himself and gathered her into his arms and held her. It was several minutes before Moana realized that he was holding her while she was sobbing uncontrollably.

"I'm so sorry!" she hiccupped between sobs. "I really wanted this. I just could not get the rape out of my head."

"Shhh, you do not need to explain to me. I love you with all my heart and I will wait as long as you need me to. I do not want to cause pain when I make love to you. I will hold you and kiss you until you are ready for more."

Moana buried her face in Maui's neck. There was a reason she loved him! He put her first even when it was not in his best interest. He really was her hero.

"Are you sure you want to marry someone who has as many scars as I do? It may be a long time before I am able to fulfill the duties of a wife."

"Moana, look at me!" he said as he turned her face toward him. "I have lived a very long time. I have met more people than I could ever count. I have had my pick of women for over a thousand years. You are the only one I have ever wanted. You are the only one I ever will want. I want to love you, protect you, and take care of you forever. Trust me. One day I will be able to show you what it is like to have someone make love to you. I will wait as long as it takes. You are the only one I want!" He began to kiss her neck and shoulders, trying to calm her down. He felt her relax as he began to stroke her hair.

Maui sat there holding Moana most of the night. He was a demigod. He had no need for sleep. He simply sat there and watched her sleep. He was going to marry this beauty that was in his arms. It was about an hour before the sun came up when it suddenly hit Maui. He was going to lose her! Not right away, he would be sure of that. But he was immortal, she was not. Could he really stand to watch her grow old and die? His shoulders started to shake as he thought about how short her life would be compared to his. There had to be a way to fix this! He would do anything to grow old beside her or to let her live forever with him. A life without Moana would be no life at all.

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A/N I know this chapter is a little shorter. I will try to keep up with posting. I have been overwhelmed with the responsibilities of life and have gotten behind where I would like to be. I will keep going, it just might take longer than I want. Please review and let me know how I am doing. Reviews definitely keep me motivated! Thanks for reading!


	12. The Demigod

_A/N: Sorry for the delay getting this chapter out. The holidays kept me busy. I am hoping to get a lot written while I am on break from school...no promises though! Please review and tell me what you think. Happy New Year!_

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12 – The Demigod

When Moana woke up the next morning, she was dismayed to discover that she was alone. She could still smell the earthy scent that was Maui lingering in the air so she knew that he could not be too far. She sat up from where he had laid her and looked around for her clothes. After putting them back on, she took one more look around then decided to head back to the village to see if he was there.

Sina saw Moana emerge from the forest where she had gone with Maui the night before.

"How was your night, darling?" Sina asked with a grin on her face.

"Don't worry mother, nothing happened. Except…"

Sina pulled Moana in for a hug. "Why don't we go back to your hut and get you refreshed for the day and talk there."

Moana linked her arm through her mother's as they made their way to Moana's hut. Once inside, Moana sat down to begin brushing her hair when Sina took the brush from her. "So what happened after you left the feast last night?"

Moana sighed as she reflected on the events of the prior evening. She felt like such a fool as she realized that she knew why Maui was gone. She had scared him away because she was frightened of close physical contact. As the realization hit her, tears began streaming down her face.

"O, Moana! What happened?" Sina gasped.

"I think I scared him away. He asked me to be his wife and I said yes. We then went for a swim and he wanted to be intimate, and so did I. But then all the memories from the invasion came back and I was too scared. He said it did not matter to him but when I woke up, he was gone." Moana was shaking from her sobs as she finished telling her mom what had happened.

Sina continued to brush Moana's hair gently as her daughter cried. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. When she turned around, she saw Maui standing there with tears in his eyes as well. She quietly stood up and handed the brush to Maui. No words were needed right now. He simply gave a nod of his head and she squeezed his arm as she left the hut. Maui settled down behind Moana and took over the job of brushing her hair.

Moana's hair was so soft, and it smelled so good. Maui just kept brushing it as Moana continued to cry, never realizing that he was there. Finally, he could not take the crying anymore. He leaned down and began brushing soft kisses on her neck. She startled at the first one and then melted against him as she realized who was there.

"You left me!" It was not a question but rather a statement. He could hear the hurt in her voice.

"I know!" he whispered against her neck. "I love you so very much! There are no words to express just how much I love you. I realized last night that I cannot go on like this!" Moana tensed up at those words. She knew it! He did not want her!

"Why did you ask me to be your wife if you cannot go on like this?" she demanded harshly.

Maui gently placed a few more kisses on her neck, trying to get her to calm down. "I did not mean that I do not want to marry you. I have never wanted anything more in my life." Maui hesitated for a moment as he struggled to gather his thoughts. He did not want to mess this up! "I realized last night that I am going to lose you! I know that it is still a long way down the road, but it will happen one of these days. I will stay the same while you grow old and die, just like every mortal does. I cannot stand that thought." Tears were now streaming down Maui's face as well. Moana felt the tears fall onto her shoulder. She turned around so that she was facing Maui. She reached for his face and wiped the tears from his cheek with her hand. She then clambered onto his lap and laid her head under his chin.

"It would seem that we have a lot of little things to figure out. I am not saying that we have all the answers or that this will or will not work. All I am saying is that we will face it together." With that, Moana raised her lips to his. Maui did not need any more prompting. He immediately took possession of her mouth and kissed her. He poured every ounce of his love into that kiss.

When they finally broke apart, Maui cocked his head to the side as he looked at Moana.

"What?" she asked, feeling a bit self-conscious under his scrutiny.

"You are going to be such a magnificent chief!"

"No," she responded matter of factly. "My dad is going to live forever and be the chief." As they laughed together at that thought, Moana slowly stood up and offered Maui a hand to help him up. Once they were standing, he closed the gap between them placing his hands on her hips.

"I mean it! I will always love you, no matter what happens." With that, he placed a kiss on her cheek and let her go as he turned to walk out the door. He would have to find a solution to their dilemma, no matter what!

Later that day, Moana was busy helping her mother weave baskets when her father and Maui approached.

"Maui tells me that you have agreed to be his wife. Is this true?" Tui asked.

Moana looked sheepishly at her father as she responded, "Yes father!"

Tui's face grew into a huge grin as he reached down to his daughter to pull her up into a hug. "Nothing could make me happier!"

"We must plan the wedding at once!" Sina said.

As the women began to talk excitedly about the wedding, Tui led Maui away to discuss some business on another part of the island. As they walked away, Maui cast one more look at Moana who was watching him walk away. My what that woman did to him.

The ladies spent the rest of the day planning the wedding that would take place in two weeks. Moana could not believe that this was really happening. She was going to pledge her love to the only man who had ever seen her for who she was.

As sunset approached, Maui came back to where the women were preparing dinner.

"Moana, would you please come with me for a few minutes? I need to discuss something with you."

"Go ahead," Sina encouraged her. "Dinner will be here when you return."

Moana reached for Maui's hand and allowed him to lead her away. They strolled along the beach hand in hand, simply enjoying the sunset. The sky was dancing in the oranges, yellows, and pinks of the sunset. As they rounded the corner leading toward the sunset, Moana saw the most beautiful surprise. Maui had set up a picnic with pineapple, bananas, and mangoes as well as smoked pork and coconut bread surrounded by flowers. Tears began to form in Moana's eyes as she was overwhelmed by the beauty of their picnic.

Maui leaned in and whispered, "I love you so much and I am sorry for this morning. I hope this helps make up for it."

Moana stood speechless as Maui held her close, simply enjoying the scent that was his Moana. She smelled like the ocean and he could not get enough of her. Finally, after several minutes of taking in the scene before her, the arms around her, and the man behind her, she found her voice. "It's absolutely perfect!"

Maui, smiling to himself, took her hand and led her to the middle of the picnic area and helped her sit down on the blanket. They slowly enjoyed their picnic, talking about their future together and simply enjoying each other's company.

Well after the moon had risen in the sky, Maui and Moana were lounging together when suddenly they felt the earth begin to shake below them. It grew in intensity rather quickly and Moana held tight to Maui in fear. After a full minute of quaking, the ground became still again. Maui released his hold on Moana, grabbed his hook, turned into the hawk, and flew high into the air to investigate the area. Moana quickly ran back to the village to make certain that all was well. When she got there, she discovered that a few buildings had lost some of the grass on the roofs but other than that everything looked fine and everyone was safe.

Maui suddenly landed right next to Moana, returning to his human form as his feet touched the ground. "There is a giant wave coming and it is going to cover the island!"

Moana felt her heart sink as her mother started to cry. Not again!

"What can we do?" Chief Tui asked the demigod.

"I don't know!" was Maui's less than helpful reply.

"Maui, can you raise the island to avoid the giant wave?" Moana asked.

Maui thought for a brief moment before answering. "That would work! Tell everyone to find something to hold onto as things are going to get a little shaky for a moment." He leaned in and brushed a quick kiss on Moana's lips before rising back up into the air as the hawk. While everyone around her was busy finding a something to hold onto, Moana watched Maui.

As he rose up high into the air, he transformed back into his human form, a lasso formed from his hook and he looped it around the island with no effort. Moana could tell the moment he had it as the ground shook. She fell to her knees as the earth around her trembled but her eyes never left her fiancé. With seemingly no effort, he pulled the island up until it rose higher out of the ocean. When he was happy with the results, he transformed back into the hawk and flew around, making sure that it was safe. Satisfied with the results, he swooped back down to the earth, landing next to Moana.

Maui reached a hand out to help Moana get up from the ground.

"Are we safe?" she asked, still awed by what she had just witnessed.

"Hop on!" he said simply before turning back into the great hawk. He stooped down so Moana could get on. Once she was settled into place, he lifted into the air. They headed out to sea in the direction the large wave was coming from. Moana could not believe the size of the wave. The island would have been completely submerged had Maui not pulled it up farther. Maui soared around so they could watch the wave until it came upon the island.

While it did cause damage to the shore, the village and most of the island was spared. Moana sighed with relief when the wave finally dissipated leaving her home and her people untouched. Maui gently headed back down to earth. As soon as they were close enough, Moana jumped off. Maui made eye contact with her and she knew that he was going away for a bit. He was a hero! It was his job to make sure that everything and everyone was safe and unharmed and she knew that was where he was going. He bent his hawk head down to her and she gave him a kiss on the beak.

"Be careful!" she said as she hugged his neck. He responded by raising one feathery eyebrow at her which she knew was his way of saying she was being silly. He wasted no time rising back up into the sky as Moana stood there watching.

Would he be back in time for the wedding?


	13. Revelations

_A/N Thanks for following the adventures of our favorite Wayfinders. I am having so much fun working on this story and hope that you will not only continue to enjoy it but also let me know what you like/dislike by leaving a review. I take your thoughts into account as I go and really enjoying hearing from you. I will try to get a few more chapters posted before I start up my classes again in a few weeks._

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13 - Revelations

Leaving Moana behind was the hardest thing that Maui had ever done in his more than 1,000 years of life. He loved her with all his heart and wanted nothing more than to stay and marry her in two weeks. But she would never be safe until Tau-Faasese and Faomea were eradicated and Mafui'e's locket returned. He had purposefully kept the form of the hawk when he left for fear that she would see on his face what his real intentions were. Would she ever forgive him for leaving her like that?

He could not afford to think about that right now. He had no idea where to start his search. They could be anywhere and look like anyone. He would have to just go to one island at a time and search for any clues that he could find as to their whereabouts.

Maui spent the first week searching for clues along the islands closest to Montonui as well as making sure they were safe after the earthquake and tsunami. He never revealed himself to those he was around, preferring to keep his hawk form and staying to the trees and skies. He combed each island he came to thoroughly, hoping for any clue at all as to where to find the twins.

On the day that was supposed to be his wedding day, his resolve faltered. He had waited so long to find that special someone and when he finally did, he left her. It was for her own good as well as the good of all the humans. But what did that matter? He left her with no explanation at all. He took off in the direction of Montonui, knowing that Moana would be mad at him but would forgive him in time. He was flying over a ship when he heard something that took his mind off his intended destination.

"Did you hear about Ohana Island? They were invaded last week by a set of twins. He raped and killed the chief's wife in front of him then slowly killed the chief!"

"I had not heard of this. Is no one safe anymore?"

"Crazy things have been happening, between the earthquakes, giant waves, and the invasions, it seems that no one is safe anymore."

"Did the invaders stay on Ohana Island?"

Maui did not wait for the response. He lifted up from his perch on the mast and headed in the opposite direction of Moana.

It was the next day before Maui finally arrived at Ohana Island. It was complete devastation. The village had been burned to the ground, dead bodies scattered all over the place. Maui was frozen in his tracks. He knew the twins were big trouble but this was so much worse than he had expected. This could have been Montonui if he had not arrived when he did. He made his way through the village slowly, looking for any sign at all of where the twins could have gone. Tears streamed down his face as he gazed upon the body of the chief's wife. That could have been Moana. They could go back and he was not there to protect her!

Suddenly, there was the sound of a baby's cry from across the way from where he stood. He quickly made his way over to the pile of rubble the sound was coming from. He lifted the rubble and threw it over to the side and was amazed to find a young child still alive. The little girl was no more than two years old, covered in cuts and burns. She screamed at first but Maui was gentle and talked in calming tones as he reached for her. He lifted her up gently and it only took a moment before she rested her head against his chest.

"You poor thing. Nobody deserves this! Now, now, don't cry. I will make sure you are well cared for."

He took her over to the river he had passed and gently bathed her. After that, he set her on the ground and found some bananas for her to eat. Once she had eaten, she lay down on the ground and quickly fell asleep. While she slept, Maui fashioned a little basket to carry her in and added some leaves for comfort as well as some more bananas so she would have food. Once everything was ready, he placed the sleeping child in the basket and took the basket to the edge of the ocean.

"Ocean, I need your help!"

The ocean popped up and quirked to the side in question to the demigod.

"I found this child orphaned in the destroyed village. She needs a home. Take her to Moana please! I have to keep searching for the twins so I can defeat them once and for all. I cannot promise to protect Moana for the rest of her life knowing that they are out there. Please make sure that Ohana arrives safely!" With that, he placed the basket gently into the ocean and watched as Ohana was gently carried away in the direction of Montonui.

Maui went back up to what was left of the village and looked around for any more clues that he might have missed. He finally determined that there was nothing else for him to see in the village and he took to the skies once again. A thorough investigation of the rest of the island turned up some helpful hints as to where to go next. On the northern most tip of the island, there was evidence that a large group of canoes had left from that spot.

"They must have headed north." Maui muttered to himself. Deciding that there might be more clues left under the water than in the air, Maui dove into the water, taking on the form of a shark as he did. With the help of the shark's great sense of smell, Maui was able to finally catch a trail. He followed the scent for 2 days before finally coming to land again. He rose out of the ocean onto the beach and looked around. There were more than a dozen canoes left sitting there, all decked out for war. This had to be them. Maui rose into the air in hawk form and followed the trail inland. While he was relieved that he did not come upon a village being attacked and ravaged, he was bewildered to discover that this was actually the stronghold for the army.

Maui perched at the highest spot he could find on the island with the intent of gathering as much information on them as he could. The last thing he wanted to do was charge in there blind. He may be a demigod, but that did not make him invincible, at least not to other demigods!

Maui was in no hurry. He spent more than two weeks watching the activities below him. As long as they were not going anywhere, there was no need to rush. He had all the time in the world!

* * *

Moana sat on the beach with her knees folded up to her chest. She was devastated! Today was supposed to be the happiest day of her life and yet she was sitting alone watching the sunset. Was Maui still alive? Was he ever going to come back? Was almost losing her to the tsunami more than he could bear? Moana felt the bile rising in her throat yet again and she jumped up and ran to the bush and emptied what little was in her stomach onto the ground. If she did not stop thinking like this, she was going to make herself sick to death. It had been three days since she had been able to keep down any food. She knew she was worried and heart broken but this was getting ridiculous. She had to get a hold of her emotions before they consumed her.

She slowly made her way to the edge of the ocean and looked down at her reflection. She looked terrible. She had dark circles from lack of sleep under eyes that were red and swollen from crying. She slowly took of her skirt and made her way into the ocean. Maybe a nice swim would do her some good! She dove down as far as she could, let out her breath slowly, and rose back to the surface. The ocean was her best friend and was always able to help her calm down when things became too emotional for her.

As she rose back to the surface the third time, something moving in the distance caught her attention. She made her way back to the shore and put her clothes back on quickly, unsure of what she was about to find. As it approached the shore, she saw that it was a basket. She made her way out to it and carefully retrieved it from the care of the ocean, slowly pulling off the lid. There was a sweet little face smiling up at Moana and a banana crushed in her little hand. She carefully lifted the little child out of the basket and held her close.

"Well, what is your name?"

The little girl turned her head to the side almost as if she was asking Moana the same question. While they were standing there waist deep in the ocean, a swirl of glowing blue swirled around them until the form of Gramma Tala appeared before them.

"Gramma!"

"Hello, Moana. I see you have received Maui's gift."

"Maui? Where is he? Is he coming back?" Moana was relieved to hear from him, even if it was just word of him sending her something, or someone as the case may be.

"He is chasing after those who are seeking to destroy you. He sent this sweet one with the ocean to bring you a message. He says that he found her orphaned in a village and he would have brought her himself but he wants to make sure that you are safe. He could not promise to protect you for life if there was someone out there trying to kill you. He sends his love and hopes that you will take good care of Ohana."

Moana looked down at the little girl who was happily splashing the water. She could almost see Maui in the little girl's eyes. Somehow, she felt that much closer to him despite the distance that separated them. She looked back up at her grandmother's form.

"Thank you, Gramma. I will treat this little one as if she came from Maui and I. No one will ever think otherwise!" She pulled Ohana in closer and hugged her tightly while sniffing her hair. This little girl would never replace Maui but his family would be waiting for him when he came back.

"Moana!" Sina's voice rang out over the hill.

"I'm here!" Moana called back.

Sina made her way over the crest of the hill and stopped dead in her tracks as she took in the sight of Moana standing there with a little child in her arms.

"Who is this?" Sina asked as she walked up to the duet that had just emerged from the ocean.

"Mama, this is Ohana. Maui found her orphaned on Ohana Island and sent her here to me." Moana's eyes were full of tears as she looked down at the toddler who had snuggled into her chest and was quickly falling asleep. "Maui and I are going to treat her as if she came from us. When he is able to come home, his family will be waiting!"

Sina pulled the girls into her arms as Moana began sobbing. Sina knew that this was not how Moana had planned her day to go and there was still more to be discussed.

Once Moana's sobs had finally let up, Sina led the two girls up to Moana's hut and helped get Ohana settled. Once the toddler was sleeping soundly on her own mat, Sina pulled Moana out of the hut to sit on the steps.

"Moana, I know that you have already been through a lot today but I need to ask you a question."

Moana looked up into her mother's face. She could tell by Sina's gentle tone that she was not going to like where this was going. She gingerly nodded her head.

"Moana, you have been sick for the last few days now. When was your last cycle?"

Moana froze, the blood draining from her face. She thought back to the events of the last three months. There was the storm, the journey, the attack on the village, the trip to Fomai, the trip home, the feast, her and Maui's engagement, the earthquake, Maui left, their missed wedding...and through it all, no cycle.

"Moana!" Sina's soft voice broke through the ice that had Moana frozen. Without realizing it, Moana's hand went protectively to her stomach.

She was going to have a child!


	14. Monsters and Demons

_A/N: Here we go...two days in a row. There is some big stuff coming up and we are getting there. As always, thanks for reading and please review! Also, if you are a fan of Beauty and the Beast, be sure to check out my other story Every Rose has Thorns._

* * *

14 – Monsters and Demons

Time held no meaning for Maui as he patiently observed the goings on of the fortress island. Once you have lived as long as he had, time means nothing to you. He had no idea how long he was there, only that it took a while for anything of significance to happen.

After what seemed to him like only a couple of weeks, he felt before he observed it, a change on the island. Things had been quiet and there had been hardly any movement. Suddenly, the island came to life. Canoes were made ready and people were sorted into units. They were getting ready to move out again. Maui made sure to keep his distance in the tops of the trees so as not to attract unwanted attention. When they finally set out, Maui was both relieved and concerned to see both siblings leaving together. It would make it easier for him to eliminate them both but he had to be certain that they did not get away from him. He soared high above them in the sky as they set sail to the west. That was good, Moana was to the east. He had no idea where they were going or how he was going to get rid of them.

After it got dark, Maui dove down into the see where he shape shifted into a shark. While his hawk eyes were good, they were no match for the shark nose in the dark. They continued their trek for several days before finally making landfall. When Maui was able to return to his hawk form while remaining undetected, he soared as high as he could along the side of the cliffs where they had landed. He began to panic a little bit when he realized where they were. Lalotai!

There was no question in his mind that they were there to get help from the realm of monsters. What would they find there that could help them? Maui was going to be kept busy. If only he could find a way to trap them there. That would never work though! As the entrance opened up, the group that had climbed up the cliff jumped in as one and Maui dove in after them, his hawk form helping him to keep his distance and control how fast he fell and where he landed.

When he reached the ground, he transformed back into his human form, hiding from everything. Once the group had collected on the ground, they started their trek deep into the realm of monsters. It was clear that they were searching for something in particular. Anytime they passed a monster that was in their path, they were quick to put an end to it. They spent more than a week walking around Lalotai before finally finding the object of their quest, Ta'avale.

Ta'avale was a giant octopus that caused great waves and whirlpools to form in the middle of the ocean. Whenever he was near, the ocean was not safe. Maui watched as Tau-Faasese walked up to Ta'avale confidently.

"Who do you think you are, disturbing me in my lair?" demanded the great octopus.

"I am the great Tau-Faasese and I am here to beseech your help. I want to conquer the humans and have plenty of manpower to accomplish this but there is a demigod that stands in my way. I need you to remove him from my path!"

"And what makes you think that I will help you?" Ta'avale said in a slow, deep voice. He seemed almost bored with the puny human.

Tau-Faasese looked at Ta'avale with an evil grin. "The demigod is the great Maui! It seems to me that you and he do not see eye to eye on things."

As Maui stood in the background watching the exchange, he watched as Ta'avale turned red in front of him. He had in fact had a run in with the octopus once before. At the time, Ta'avale had a family and they were causing problems for Moana's wayfinding ancestors. Maui had put a quick end to the whole family, except for Ta'avle. If anyone had a reason to want to see Maui's family killed, this was the one. Maui's heart stopped as he thought of Moana and Ohana back on Montonui without his protection. He had to do something to stop Ta'avale from going after them. But if he revealed himself now, it would be known that he was following Tau-Faasese and Faomea, not something he wanted to happen. If it was discovered he was there, he would lose the element of surprise.

He stayed hidden while the two talked. He nervously looked around him to see if he could find anything to give him an idea of how to protect his family. His heart beat harder as he realized that he was calling Moana and Ohana his family. He had never had a family before and now that he did he was dangerously close to losing them. How he could really use Moana here with him right now. She was clever in ways that he was not. She would be able to help him come up with a solution to their dilemma.

Maui's attention was quickly brought back to the situation at hand as he heard the whole group laughing. That was not a good sign. Maui watched and Tau-Faasese and his followers turned away from Ta'avale to leave. Maui had about two seconds to decide whether to follow them or take care of Ta'avale right here and now. He could only be in one place at a time. Since he was here, he might as well take care of the octopus. He thought carefully about how he could avoid all eight tentacles and kill Ta'avale without becoming dinner.

Maui quietly slid into the pool where Ta'avale was sitting and turned into a shark. He took a deep breath to prepare himself for what he was about to do then bit the tentacle that was closest to him. The tentacle jerked and then started chasing him. Maui swam as fast as he could, weaving in and out of all the other tentacles. He came close to being caught by others a few times but finally managed to escape. As he swam away, he saw the knot that the tentacles were all in. He jumped out of the water, taking on his human form.

"Maui!" bellowed Ta'avale. "I WILL kill you!"

"I would like to see you try, you big old knot!" taunted Maui.

Ta'avale glared at Maui through his eyes that were no more than slits. Maui jumped aside as Ta'avale attempted to jump toward Maui. He missed! Maui ran around behind Ta'avale, raised his hook high above his head, and with a great war cry he cut off Ta'avale's head, killing the annoying jerk. As Maui landed on the ground, he took off at a run after Tau-Faasese in an attempt to catch up to him. He had lost precious time eliminating one obstacle. He hoped that he had not taken too long.

* * *

Moana chuckled as she watched Ohana play with the ocean from her little perch on the canoe. With how much she loved the ocean, anybody would have thought that Ohana was Moana's child by blood. It had not taken Moana very long to realize that Ohana loved going out on the canoe as much as she did. Sina was not thrilled about the situation. But then again, who would want their daughter who was more than seven months pregnant to take a two year old out on a canoe into the middle of the ocean? The only reason she did not fight harder with Moana about the situation was because that was the only place where her daughter seemed happy.

Moana had struggled greatly with the realization that she was with child. Sina could understand the disappointment. Moana should be happily married to Maui and carrying his child. As it was, she was carrying a child that was the result of a brutal rape while her fiancé was out there and nobody knew where he was or if he was safe. Ohana had proven to be a very welcome distraction. Sina was convinced that had the child not come along when she did, Moana would have become just a shell of a woman.

Moana watched as Ohana made faces at the ocean. Toa was circling above them keeping an ever watchful eye over the girls. Moana was ever so grateful for this little bundle of joy. She had not taken the news of her pregnancy very well to start with. Ohana had made it easier by demanding attention from Moana, making it impossible for her to give up. She had finally reached the point where she was getting excited about her little one who she would be meeting before too very long. Her mother had helped her to find that joy in the midst of everything.

As Moana sat against the mast massaging her belly where her little one was dancing around, she reveled in the breeze that was blowing across the calm waters. She could not help but look toward the sky in the hopes of seeing a great hawk headed her way. It had been five months since Maui had left and she missed him more every day.

Suddenly, Ohana became uncharacteristically quiet. Moana looked around and saw a canoe headed her way. She stood as quickly as she could and turned her own canoe in the direction the other one was coming from. As she approached, her heart stopped. There was a female on the canoe who looked just like that man who had raped her several months ago. Moana turned her canoe around as fast as she could and grabbed Ohana so that she would not fall into the ocean. Even with the ocean giving her an extra push toward the shore; the other canoe overtook her with great ease. Faomea jumped from her canoe to Moana's canoe. Moana moved as fast as she could, trying to keep Ohana out of reach. Toa swooped down and tried to attack Faomea but she was too fast. She grabbed Moana by her hair and pulled her onto her canoe. She threw Moana against the mast of the canoe while Moana kept a tight hold on Ohana. She would have yelled but there was no one to call out to. Moana held a bawling Ohana, trying to comfort her but not doing so well since she was also scared.

"Well, look what we have here. It is the great Moana, the future wife of Maui."

"Maui is going to find us!" Moana threatened.

"I'm counting on it!" sneered Faomea. "You…are…bait!"


	15. Birds and Bees

_A/N Sorry this chapter took longer to post than I had hoped. Anyways, here it is. Thank you for all the reviews. They truly help inspire me to keep going. Please let me know what you think and, hopefully, I will get another chapter posted before school takes off on Monday. If I don't, please be patient with me. I have a very full course load..._

 _Enjoy!_

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15 – Birds and Bees

Maui flew high into the sky of Lalotai in search of Tau-Faasese as fast as he could. He was not going to let that idiot get away from him again and put Moana and Ohana in danger. After flying for a couple of hours, he came upon them as they waited for the geyser to take them back to the human world. Maui landed on the top branch of a nearby tree, trying to decide the best course of action for defeating them.

He was a demigod, this should have been easy for him, but it was not. Maui was about to lose hope when he remembered something. Tomatoa's cave! Surely there was something there that he could use…all that treasure that had been left behind. He jumped back into the air, transforming into a hawk as he did so. As the cave grew closer, Mai could hear an odd sound coming from the cave ahead.

"Bees!" he muttered to himself. It was the sounds of thousands, no millions of bees buzzing around. Maui had a special bond with the killer bees and he was sure that he could enlist their help.

He transformed back into his human form so as not to scare them into flying away. As he walked in, two drones stopped him.

"What do you want, human?" one demanded.

"I am not a human, I am the demigod Maui and I am here to beseech your queen to help me protect the humans."

The drones looked at him and were about to chase him away when the Queen's voice carried over to them.

"Maui, my old friend. Please come in."

Maui gave the drones an "I told you so" look as he walked passed them. If he had more time, he would gloat. But time was of the essence if he was going to eliminate Tau-Faasese and his crew.

Maui came before the queen and bowed deeply.

"Maui, you have saved us more than once and given us more than we could ever ask for. Please tell me what we can do for you!"

Maui was more thankful than ever that he had made peace with the bees. It sounded like a silly thing, but he had always made sure that when he pulled up islands from the ocean, there were lots of flowers. While they were intended for the humans, the bees were always thrilled with the flora that presented itself on the islands. They used it to make honey and when they did, the flowers grew even more bountiful.

"Your Highness, Maiofo. I have been followed down here by some men who intend to destroy the humans. They attempted to make a pact with Ta'avale to destroy them but I was able to eliminate him as a threat. They are standing just outside the cave waiting for the geyser to take them up and I am not sure how much longer they will be there. Is there any way you could help me eliminate them?"

Maiofo looked at Maui, attempting to gauge his sincerity. It must be true for she looked deep into his eyes and saw his honesty. She turned to the drones who had been reluctant to let him into the cave.

"Pipi, Mativa! Gather the troops and assist Maui in decimating the threat to the humans."

"Thank you!" Maui said as he turned and ran toward the mouth of the cave.

"You're welcome!" he heard Maiofo sing back to him.

Maui chuckled to himself as he led the bees to the battle. The army never saw them coming and were very quickly taken care of. How dare anyone attempt to destroy the humans who were so kind to the bees! Maui did his best to help as well and before he knew it, everyone had been killed. That is, everyone except…

* * *

Moana woke up feeling disoriented. She was in a cold damp room that was so dark she could not see anything. She heard a whimpering beside her and felt around until she found Ohana. The poor girl was scared to death. Moana slowly sat up as best she could and pulled the little girl into her lap.

"There now, Ohana. Momma's got you. We are going to be ok." She stroked the little girl's hair as she whispered to her. She wanted Ohana to feel safe even though Moana did not feel the same way.

There was a loud clanging of metal and light shone through into the room. It was Faomea! Moana clutched Ohana as tightly to her as she could with her little one in between them.

"The great Moana is finally awake!" she sneered. She walked over and touched her hand to Moana's cheek. "My brother will be happy to see you, and with child! Is it his?"

Moana jerked her head away from Faomea then spit at her feet. "This child is mine!"

Faomea let out an evil laugh. "It takes two to make a child. It must be his or you would have said that it was Maui's child. Brother will be thrilled to hear that he is going to be a father. I was planning to kill you but we will wait until the child arrives. He will be more powerful than both of us together."

Moana held her protruding stomach possessively, trying to infuse courage into the little one. Ohana started crying and turned her head into Moana's breast, seeking comfort from her mother. While she was too young to understand what was happening, she knew that they were in trouble.

* * *

Maui yelled as he watched the geyser carry Tau-Faasese out of Lalotai. He had been so engrossed in killing the army that he had momentarily forgotten the jackass. Now, Maui was going to have to go as fast as he could out of Lalotai in search of Tau-Faasese and hope he got there before it was too late.

He transformed into the hawk and flew as high and as fast as he could. He might be able to change into a hawk but Lalotai was made to keep people and creatures in. He tried tirelessly for what seemed like forever to get out but he simply could not do it. He was relieved when the geyser finally gave him the final push he needed to get out, but he was too late. Tau-Faasese had gotten away. Maui had no idea which direction to look in first.

As he stood in his human form on the edge of the ocean, he got the sense that something was wrong. The air felt different like it was charged with the worst storm ever. He not only needed to find Tau-Faasese, but he also needed to find Faomea and retrieve the locket, return the locket to Maufu'e, and get home to his family.

His heart ached. He missed Moana and Ohana so much it felt like he was being torn in half. They were home, waiting for him to come back and he had stayed away all this time, only to let Tau-Faasese get away. He did not even know where to go for help in finding the twins.

It did not matter that he was the great Maui at the moment. All that mattered was that he had failed. He had failed the humans. But more importantly, he had failed Moana. He had missed their wedding and let the man who raped her get away. Maui jumped up at that thought. He would not have gone back for her, would he?

Maui jumped into the air, turning into the hawk as he did, and he flew faster than ever toward Montonui. After about an hour in the air, he found himself dodging lightning bolts. He was exhausted. In one day he had fought a giant octopus, an army, and now a storm. He lost his focus on what he was doing and never saw the bolt of lightning that hit him. He fell into a free fall into the ocean below then sank into the depths, unconscious.


	16. Meltdown

A/N I posted the second day in a row again! Thanks so much for the reviews so far. They help me stay motivated and I get more done. Please make sure to review this one and please don't kill me! Good will come of it...I promise!

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16 – Meltdown

Moana woke up again, this time due to the baby kicking around inside of her. She gently placed her hand over the place where her child was growing and gently rubbed the spot in an effort to calm the little one. Ohana was sleeping peacefully close by, Moana could tell by the gentle breathing. Moana stretched out her legs and back then decided she needed to get a better feeling of her surroundings. She felt around to see where Ohana was. She did not want to step on her. Once she had established where the toddler was laying, she slowly began to feel her way around the room. It was larger than she had anticipated. The floor felt like a collection of stones and the walls were stone as well. The wall on the farthest side of the room was so cold that it almost hurt to touch it. She had never felt something so cold in her life.

She continued to feel around the wall in the hopes of finding some way out. There were no cracks or crevices of any kind. She thought it was a cave to start with but now that she had been around the entire room, she realized that it was an actual room of some sort, the kind of which she had never seen before. She rubbed her arms as she made her way slowly back to where Ohana was starting to stir. She did not want her to wake up and feel like she was alone.

"Shh, Mamma's right here!" She gathered Ohana up into her lap and snuggled her close. The child curled up into her and Moana could feel her relax. At least one of them could relax! As the little one started moving around again, Moana noticed that she was hungry. She needed to eat, not just for her, but for the little one as well. It was some time later when the door rattled, indicating that someone was there.

"Here is food for you. You better eat up because my brother will hang me if he finds out that I allowed something to happen to his child." Faomea shoved some bread and stew into the room and slammed the door shut.

Moana reached out to grab the bowl and the bread. She Sat Ohana up and gave her a chunk of the hard bread to eat.

"Eat up, little one. Who knows when we will be fed again."

* * *

Maui felt himself being brought back up to the surface of the ocean, his hook laying across his chest. He tried to move but found himself to be paralyzed. He felt something slide underneath of him and tried to see what was going on but his eyes were too heavy and he succumbed to the darkness.

The sun was just going down on the horizon when Maui once again opened his eyes. He looked around slowly, able to move a little bit by this point. He was trying to figure out where he was but he could not make out the stars for the cloud cover. He raised himself a little higher on the hollowed-out piece of driftwood that he was floating on and saw Te'Fiti in the near distance. He laid back down, feeling very heavy under the weight of the lightning strike. He would just wait patiently for the ocean to deliver him to the shore.

Te'fiti rose as Maui drew closer. She shrank down to a smaller size and held her hand out to him in an invitation. Maui stepped forward and knelt in front of Te'Fiti, tears streaming down his face, and held his hook out to her.

"Take it! I am a failure and do not deserve this anymore. I cannot even protect Moana! Every time I get close to taking out the threat, he gets away yet again. I have this feeling in my gut that something is wrong but I cannot even get to her without something bad happening to me, I am supposed to be there with her, be her HUSBAND, and I have been gone for months. She probably thinks I hate her! The humans are in danger, but I cannot even keep one of them safe. I love her more than anything. The praise of all the humans means nothing to me. I cannot keep her safe from Tau-Faasese, I cannot find the locket…" Maui was sobbing at this point, barely able to speak.

Te'Fiti looked down at him and he was sure that he saw a tear in her eye. She had a special bond with Moana. She probably hated him for hurting Moana the way he did, hated him for leaving her defenseless.

"Te'Fiti! I left her alone and sent her a child to take care of, by herself. I should be helping her, protecting her. What do I do?" Maui was in pure anguish as he knelt there, pouring it all out to Te'Fiti. After a while, Maui's tears and rage were spent and he found himself drifting off to sleep on the beach.

* * *

Moana felt her hair being pulled viciously. Instinctively, she reached one hand for her belly and the other hand to the top of her head. She pushed down against the roots in an attempt to keep the attacker from pulling her hair out. She then began to kick at the other person's leg, but they were able to keep her just out of reach.

"I forgot how feisty you are!" came the sneer from an all too familiar voice.

"What do you want?" she gritted through her teeth toward Tau-Faasese.

"I – want – you! I want to take you again, and again until you no longer think of anyone but me. You will carry not only this child for me but many, many more. My sister and I will never fear our family line coming to an end."

"NEVER!" Moana shouted. She heard Ohana startle at the sudden volume of her voice. "Shhh, Ohana, you are safe. Mama will protect you." She kept her voice as calm as she could, despite the incredible fear she was feeling within herself.

Tau-Faasese leaned in close to Moana and whispered into her ear. "You will be mine again, mark my words!"

Moana kept her voice as level as possible. "You can force me or I can carry the child. You cannot have both. Decide now!"

"The baby will be here soon, then I WILL make you mine. I promise." With that, He threw her away from him, causing her to land on her side. He stormed out of the room and she heard him demand that she and Ohana be given more food. Nothing was to happen to endanger the life of the child she carried. Moana sighed in relief as she realized that she was safe from him, for now.

* * *

Sina rolled over on the mat where she was trying to sleep next to Tui. Something did not feel right, other than the obvious. She looked over at her husband. My how she loved him. Moana's abduction had been almost more than he could bear. She reached over to stroke his cheek when she realized what was wrong. Tui was not breathing. She raised up quickly and leaned over, kissing him in the hopes of rousing him. She realized that it had not worked and jumped out, running for the village doctor.

It did not take long to realize that Tui was not going to be revived. Sina laid across his chest, sobbing. She could not believe that he was gone. What had caused this? The doctor had said that his heart had stopped. He must have died of a broken heart. His heart could not handle everything that had happened with Moana. They had always been very close, despite their difference of opinions. She would have to see to the funeral and burial. But that would wait. Right now, it was her time to mourn. She mourned her husband's death. She mourned her daughter's disappearance. She mourned Ohana's rough life so far. She mourned the village's lack of a leader at the moment. The task would fall to her until Moana's return. Sina just hoped that she was out there and safe. More than that, she hoped that Maui would find her and bring her home safe and sound.

"Find her and bring her home!" Sina whispered to whoever could hear her. As she went back to her weeping, a blue turtle raced across the water.


	17. Deception

A/N Hey, what do you know, three in a row. Things are really starting to take off for Moana and Maui. Please let me know what you think. Also, feel free to check out my other story, Every Rose Has Thorns, a Beauty and the Beast fanfic. As always, thanks for the reviews!

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17 – Deception

Maui woke up as the sun was rising behind Te'Fiti. As he sat up, he noticed that she was watching him.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you last night," he apologized. "I just feel so useless and I hate it. I don't even know where to start."

"You could start by picking up your hook, Maui!"

Maui turned toward the ocean and saw a blue figure standing there.

"Gramma Tala!" Maui exclaimed in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"I am watching out for Moana and Ohana. Maui, they have been taken by Faomea."

Maui felt the strength drain from his legs and he fell to his knees. He had failed her, again. He felt the sobs working their way up when Tala was joined by another blue figure who knelt next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Maui, you are a great demigod and protector. Moana could not have picked a better man to love and to love her." It was chief Tui. But what was he doing here? That had to mean…

"What happened to you?" Maui asked quietly.

"My heart could not take the pain of Moana's being captured after everything else she has been through. I hated leaving Sina but my heart was simply not strong enough. Now, I have come to you, my son. You need to find your inner strength and go save my daughter and granddaughter. They are relying on you!"

Maui looked at his hook which was laying in the sand a few feet to his right. "I do not know if I can. I keep letting them down. I cannot even protect her. How can you think that I am the right man for her?"

"Because you love her for who she is, despite everything that has happened to her," was Tui's soft response.

Tala came to the other side of Maui and placed a hand on his other shoulder. "Your spirits are kindred and they understand each other as no other could. You move mountains for her, you sail seas for her, and now it is time to fly the skies for her. We can show you the way, it is up to you to follow."

Maui thought for a moment before slowly rising to his feet. He looked at the woman on his right, Moana's grandmother who had sent her to find him. Without Gramma Tala, they would have never met and he would still be stranded on that desert island. He took a deep breath then turned to the left. Chief Tui was such a strong person. Maui could not believe that the only father he had ever known was now only there in spirit. Moana would be crushed.

He wiped the last of the tears from his eyes as he walked over to where his hook was laying. He cast a quick glance toward Te'Fiti. "Thank you!"

She gave a small nod before returning to her full height and laying back down to sleep. He was not sure what he would have done if she had given him what he had asked for. This was better. He had yet another chance to protect Moana and the rest of the humans. He turned toward the mother and son that were standing on the edge of the ocean waiting for him.

"I am ready to go find my family. Lead the way!" He rose up into the air on his hawk wings and followed the blue trails of the ray and turtle.

* * *

Moana lost track of the time that she was in the dungeon. She wished that there was at least a little bit of sunlight so she could at least make an attempt to keep track of the time. It had been several weeks at least since they had been brought to the place they were being kept. Moana was pacing around the room, taking gentle breaths as the pains came every so often. She had attended births before and knew what to expect. She was not ready for this though.

They had kept her fed so that the baby would continue to grow, but not enough to give her the strength that would soon be required of her. There was also the issue of Ohana. The poor child did not need to be there when the baby came. Not to mention that she had no way to handle the birth and no help.

"Maui," she whispered to the wall. "I really need you to find us! I need you so much right now." She walked around the room slowly, rubbing her back as she did. It was going to be a long night, if it was night, and she was going to have to be quiet, no matter what.

"Mama?" she heard softly call out to her. She walked over to where she knew Ohana was laying and sat down next to her.

"What's the matter, Sweetie?" she softly asked as she stroked Ohana's soft, brown curls. "Mama is right here and Daddy will be here soon. I am sure of it." She gently rocked the child in her arms and hummed the songs about Maui to her. This is how they spent much of their time. Ohana loved the songs and stories, not yet able to understand that they were about Maui, her adopted father. Moana's voice caught as she was overtaken by another contraction. Ohana tensed up. She could tell that something was wrong with mama but she had no idea what or how to help.

It had taken almost 2 weeks for Maui to finally find where the twins had taken his family. Tala and Tui never left him alone. There is no way he could have survived the trip by himself. He would have to stop regularly to give himself a break and those were the worst. Tui, ever nearby, would calm Maui with tales of Moana as a child then Maui would share another story from their first adventure or one of his own adventures. This helped the time to pass until he was able to fly again.

Now that he had survived the trip, it was time to fight. He knew that stealth would be necessary and was trying to decide the best course of action as the land came into view. On the shore, there stood a building like he had never seen before. It was taller than the trees and made completely from stones. It was surrounded all around with white stuff that made Maui feel cold. He was dressed for warmer climates. He knew that there were other lands beyond the ocean but he had never had the desire to find them.

He circled the great Scottish castle several times in the air before finally deciding on a course of action. He would go as far as he could as the great hawk then turn into the lizard in order to get around the fastest and search for Moana and Ohana.

As he swooped down on the inside of the compound, he heard a shout from somewhere. Hoping that he had not been caught, he transformed into the lizard and found a crack in the wall to go through. He scurried around until he came out into another room. Of all the rooms in the great building that he choose to enter, he entered the room whereFaomea happened to be eating her dinner. Maui was torn. Should he take the time now to kill her or should he search for Moana first? Now that he knew whereFaomea was, he could come back. He had to know that his girls were safe. He looked around the room for a map but did not see one. He moved on to the next room.

* * *

Moana bit her lip to keep the scream from coming out. The pains were a lot closer and more intense. She was definitely having the child but she did not want her captors to know any more than she wanted Ohana to hear and be scared. She clutched the rock that was protruding from the wall with every fiber of her being, hoping that would help her remain silent. Suddenly, the door opened and a large form stood in the doorway. Her breath caught in her throat. Maui!

She started to rush toward him but was overtaken with another pain. As she was doubled over in pain, he rushed over to where she was standing and lifted her up in his arms. Without saying a word, he carried her out of the dungeon into a room with more light and set her down.

"I was beginning to think that you were not coming," she said through a combination of tears from pain and tears from joy. She held his neck tightly, trying to gain some of his strength. When she finally pulled back, she took a good look at him. Something was different about him.

"Maui, are you ok?" she asked.

"I am great. I am just so relieved to have found you. I have been worried sick over you."

Suddenly, Moana raised her head. They had left Ohana alone in the other room.

"Ohana!"

"What about her?" Maui asked.

Moana considered his face. Why couldn't she shake the feeling that something was not right. She searched his face for something to indicate why he was not treating her the same way she was used to. About that time, a pain greater than all the ones before gripped her. This time, she was glad that Ohana was not in the room as she was not able to hold back the cry that accompanied that pain. She felt the pressure building inside of her as the child began to make it's way into position.

To distract her from the pain, she began touching all of Maui's tattoos. She loved the canvas that was his body. She had missed the tattoos that told his life's story. She was looking to see if there were any new ones to tell about his journeys. As her eyes made their way to Mini Maui, she figured out what was wrong. Mini Maui had not moved an inch, and he was usually overly animated.

Moana pushed away from the person who was holding her as the realization hit. This was not her Maui! This was someone who could change form to look like Maui. She cried as the panic built with the next pain. They were trying to comfort her during the birth of her child so that she would trust them to carry it away.

"GET AWAY FROM ME! YOU CANNOT HAVE THIS CHILD!" she yelled at the top of her lungs. She would not give birth to the child as long as they planned to take it. She would die rather than give up her baby.

Ohana came running toward Moana as she was forced back into the dungeon by Tau-Faasese.

"If you do not want to birth the child in the light with help then so be it. You will birth the child and I will take them!" With that, he slammed the door.

Moana sank to the ground, trying to catch her breath and once again comfort Ohana despite the agony that the unborn child was putting her through.

"Maui!" She screamed at the top of her lungs while holding her hands over Ohana's ears. "Maui! Help us!"


	18. It's Maui Time

_A/N_ It's _time. There is a lot in this chapter. Please let me know what you think. School starts back tomorrow so I do not know how soon it will be before I can post again. I am trying to get ahead on things but no promises. Enjoy!_

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18 – It's Maui Time

Maui scrambled as fast as he could through all the cracks and crevices he could find. He was at war with himself. He really should have taken care of Faomea when he had the chance! But something was urging him to keep looking for his girls. He spent hours going everywhere he could find a place, checking every room that he came across but there was no sign of them. Had he not found Faomea, he would have thought that he was in the wrong place.

The sun was going down, the castle growing dark, and Maui was losing hope fast. What if he were too late? He sat on a boulder outside of the castle, trying to decide what to do next. Then he heard it!

" _Maui! Maui, help us!"_

"Moana?" He jumped and looked all around him. Where was her voice coming from?

" _Maui!"_ There it was again. His heart was breaking with each scream he heard from her. What were they doing to her? He ran toward where he had heard the scream coming from. He could not find a way in to save his life. Maybe if he were to change into a beetle he could find something. He hated going smaller because it took longer and more work to get anywhere but he needed to find a way in.

It was about a dozen screams later before he was able to find a crack that led in the general direction of where the screams were coming from. He crawled down the foundation and into a dark room, or at least he thought it was a room. It was almost pitch black. He thought he heard breathing, so he made sure to stay on the wall so as not to get trampled by whoever or whatever was in there.

* * *

Moana could not contain the groans any longer. The pressure was too great, the pains too close. The baby was coming and there was nothing she could do about it. She took a few deep breaths realizing that she needed her energy to deliver the child, not scream for help. For all she knew, Maui was never coming for them. She gently led Ohana over to the corner of the room and then took herself to the opposite corner of the room, barely making it before the pressure inside her and the urge to push were too great to resist. She was bawling from not only the physical pain she was enduring but also the knowledge that the moment the child was here, they would be taken away from her.

Suddenly, the pain was too great to hold onto and she found herself pushing with all her might while she was on her hands and knees.

* * *

Maui stood as still as he could. He could hear movement around him. There were two people in the room and they were in opposite corners. One was breathing really hard. His gut told him it was his girls but he had to be sure before making his presence know. He scurried over to where the smaller one was sitting quietly. He crawled close enough to where he could see them, thanks to his eyesight as an insect, and saw that it was Ohana. He silently transformed into his human form and reached for the child, hushing her as he did.

"It's ok. It's Maui and you are going to be safe." He gave her a slight squeeze and set her back down. "Moana?" It was a gentle whisper as he did not want to frighten her if she was truly in there.

"Maui!" Moana panted through the contraction that was coursing through her. She was so tired of pushing, she did not think she could go much longer. It felt like maybe the child was stuck and she was in this alone. "Maui…"

Maui rushed over to where Moana was and felt that she was on her hands and knees. He gently placed his hand on her back.

"Penina," he gently whispered as she tensed up below him. "What's wrong?" he asked in a panic.

"Maui!" she panted yet again. He looked around for some way to get some light in the room. The only option was the door. He was going to need to transform into something bigger to get it open. She would not believe he was there until she was able to see him. He grabbed his hook from where it had fallen on the floor next to Ohana and transformed into a giant bear. He reared up on his hind legs and charged toward the door. After several attempts, the door finally gave way to his beatings.

As the door swung open, it hit something. Maui changed back into a human and charged at Tau-Faasese who was waiting on the other side. He never saw it coming! Maui punched Tau-Faasese as hard as he could in the stomach, followed immediately by a punch in the face. After a couple more well-placed punches, Tau-Faasese landed on the ground. Maui was about to finish him off when he heard a blood-curdling scream from Moana. Maui jumped up and ran as fast as he could back into the room, dropping his hook as he knelt next to Moana.

"Maui? Is it really you?" Moana asked through the pain.

He gently stroked her cheek. "It's really me. What's wrong?"

"Baby – coming – now!" she gritted through teeth that were clenched. She let out a wail as the urge to push hit her yet again. As Moana pushed, Maui snapped out of the slight daze her words had put him in. He went around to investigate and as he knelt down, he noticed two things: a blue glow lighting the room and a baby's head. Moana was having a baby right here! He did not have time to panic as he reached out to help. He did not know what to do other than be ready to catch the child as Moana gave one final push. Maui looked at the little child that was laying so helplessly in his large hands.

"Maui!" The sound of Moana's voice brought him out of his trance and he rubbed the child's back, urging them to take a breath. After what seemed like an eternity, the child let out a cry, taking the stale air into their lungs. Moana started sobbing at the sound of her child's cry and Maui did not know what to do. He gently held the child out to Moana and helped with the final duties of childbirth.

Moana laid there, holding her little boy in her arms. She did not have the strength to do anything but lay there and look at him, holding him close until Tau-Faasese turned back into his form and took him away from her. She held onto him as tightly as she dared, allowing her tears to wash him off.

Suddenly, she felt strong arms pick her up and head toward the door. When they reached the light, she noticed movement where there should not be any. Mini Maui? Was he moving?

"Maui?" she asked as she looked up into the face of the person who was carrying her. Maui looked down at her face, concern in his eyes. He bent down and tenderly kissed her lips. When he released her, he looked at the baby in her arms. He knew it was not his but he could not face the idea of her being unfaithful to him. Ohana followed close by, dragging Maui's hook along with her as she walked.

Moana could sense the question burning in Maui's eye. She tenderly took in the little sleeping in her arms.

"I was never unfaithful to you! He is a result of the rape but I do not care how he was conceived. He is my son and I will always love him."

Maui looked back down at her, stopping in his tracks. "He may not be my biological son, but I will always be his father." He placed another gentle kiss on her lips. "Thank you for waiting for me," he whispered before placing a gentle kiss on her nose. "I will never leave you like that again."

About that time, Ohana sneezed really loud, knocking her off balance and onto the ground. Maui and Moana looked down at her and smiled.

"I am glad you left. You found Ohana so we could give her a family." Maui gave her a gentle squeeze after what she said. Every time he thought he could not love her anymore, she would say something like that.

Maui made his way through the passages, trying to find the way out. It was one giant maze and he did not know the way out. He was starting to get concerned that Ohana might not be able to keep up when he finally found stairs that led up. Moana was asleep in his arms, exhausted from birthing her, no, their son. Ohana followed behind better than he ever expected. He was not going to be able to eliminate the threat against his family at this moment in time. He kicked open the door that was at the top of the steps and found them outside. They were halfway there. They just had to reach to the ocean.

Suddenly, it hit Maui that he did not know how he was going to get them all home. Moana was too weak to hold onto him, and the baby, and Ohana while he flew them out of there. He needed a canoe. He looked all around him for supplies. He gently laid Moana on a pile of hay next to the stable so that she was both comfortable and out of sight. He then placed Ohana next to her.

"Be quiet, Squirt, and watch out for your mama."

Ohana looked him dead in the eyes and nodded her head. He took his hook out of her arms and ran to find what he needed. It only took an hour for him to find the supplies and fashion them into a useable canoe so that he could take his family home. He ran back to the stable and found that Moana was awake and feeding the baby. His heart stopped beating for a moment as he was entranced by her beauty. He quickly snapped out of it and reached to pick them up. Once he had them settled in his arms, he told Ohana to come along and they went to the shore where the canoe was waiting for them. He settled Ohana into a little space that he had made for her then settled Moana into her spot next to where he would sit once they were on the ocean headed home.

Once he had shoved off from the shore, he got everything ready and settled down in his spot, bringing Moana and the baby into his lap. He gently kissed her temple then placed a kiss on the newborn's forehead.

"Let's go home!"


	19. Reunited

_A/N So, this_ chapter _was not_ supposed _to be written today as my classes started up. However, you can thank Maui and Moana for not leaving me alone. I had too many ideas of what I wanted to happen in this chapter that I ended up giving in and_ writing _the story to hopefully clear my head. Now, I am off to my school work with no guarantees of when the next chapter will be headed your way. Please enjoy and don't forget to review._

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19 – Reunited

Maui guided the makeshift canoe out of the small bay where the castle stood and started in the direction he thought was home. It did not take long for him to realize he was going the wrong direction! He sat at the rudder, trying to figure out which way to go when the manta and turtle showed back up and began to lead the way. Maui tensed up as the thought occurred to him that he would have to tell Moana about her father. He looked at her sleeping in his lap and realized that it could wait, for now.

Maui was relieved when darkness fell over them. He could keep sailing with no problem, but he had no supplies for his family. He was going to need to find a place to stay the night so Moana could get some good rest and they could stock up on supplies.

Well into the night, Maui finally saw an island in the distance. He turned the canoe toward it and pulled ashore. Moana had awoken to feed the baby but Ohana lay sleeping in her little spot. Maui gathered some grass and leaves and made a soft bed for Ohana then gently carried her over and laid her down. After that, he set about gathering wood and making a fire close enough to where she slept to keep her warm but not so close that her bed would catch on fire. By the time he had returned to the canoe, the baby was once again asleep in Moana's arms. He stopped and looked at her in the light of the full moon.

She was absolutely stunning. Motherhood agreed with her! Pregnancy had widened her hips in a very feminine way. Her breasts…Maui's heart raced as he gazed upon them. They had increased in size as they would now nourish the little one in her arms. Her hair was exquisite! He could stand there and watch her all night. Suddenly, he realized that he was staring and snapped himself out of it. He ran over to the canoe and gently lifted her out of it.

"You know, I am quite capable of walking myself!" Moana said, giving Maui a hard time. He stopped in his tracks and looked down at her, thinking she was mad at him. He could not help the laugh that rose once he realized that she was picking on him. He pulled her into a tight hug, so glad that she was still his Moana despite everything!

"I don't care if you can walk, I am going to carry you! I was not there to take care of you when you needed me most. Now you are stuck with me!" he said firmly as a tear rolled down his cheek. Moana stretched her face up toward his and kissed him on the cheek as he continued to make his way over to where Ohana was sleeping soundly.

Maui set Moana down and she made a little nest next to Ohana's bed for the baby and gently laid him down to sleep. It was the first time she had put him down since he was born earlier that day. Once she was sure he was settled and safe, she turned to Maui.

They just stood there looking at each other. Maui was doing a thorough inspection to see if she was injured. Moana was simply taking in the fact that her Maui was standing there in front of her. He had lost some weight but was more muscular. He had a new scar over his left eye that she would have to ask him about later. His eyes had dark circles under them and he simply looked weary. But despite all that, he was the most incredible sight she had ever seen.

Suddenly, it hit her. They were really there, on an island, far away from her captors. Maui was really standing there in front of her. She launched herself into his arms, buried her face in his neck, and simply wept.

Maui was instantly overcome with emotion. He had been afraid that she would be angry with him for not being there for her. Angry that he had missed their wedding. Angry that he had been away for so long. He held her while she cried, shedding his own tears. Tears of regret for not being everything he had promised to be, tears of joy at finding her alive and well, tears of relief that they were finally together again.

Slowly, Maui sank down to the ground, cradling Moana in his lap. They sat there and cried, both overwhelmed with emotion. The sun was starting to peek over the horizon when they finally released their hold on each other. The sound of the baby crying brought Moana back to the present. She slowly pulled herself up, out of Maui's lap, and walked over to where her, no their, children were laying. She slowly lifted the baby up and held him close. He needed a bath as well as fed. She found a smooth rock and sat down on it. She slowly unwrapped her top freeing her swollen breasts, so she could feed the baby.

Maui sat entranced at the sight of her. He had always known that this would be the most beautiful sight and he was right. Moana was breathtaking as she sat there feeding the child. He wanted to sit and watch her but knew that there were other things that needed his attention. He stood up and walked over to where she sat, planted a kiss on her head, then went to where his hook was laying in the sand next to the canoe and transformed into the hawk.

Moana panicked for just a moment, afraid that he was leaving her yet again. But once she got her heartbeat under control, she realized that he was merely circling around the island. He was probably making sure they had not been followed. She finished feeding the baby then laid him back down so that she could check on Ohana.

The youngster was starting to stir in her little bed. Moana reached out to stroke her hair.

"Mama!" exclaimed Ohana as she realized they could see each other. She jumped into Moana's lap, giving her the biggest hug around her neck. Moana gently squeezed her back.

"Hey, sweet girl. Would you like some food?" She asked.

"Food!" shouted Ohana.

Together, the two girls stood up and began looking around for something they could eat for breakfast. They found a couple of trees that had fruit on them like Moana had never seen before in all her travels. She was about to just keep walking when she heard a sound behind her. Jumping, she whirled around to see Maui standing there. He reached for her hand.

"Those are called apples and they are very good. Let me grab some for you and you girls can take a seat.' He reached up and collected a large handful of the red orbs then took them over to his family. Maui once again could not stop the smile that split his face as he thought about the fact that he was looking at his family. He had never had one before and now, there were three people who depended on him and loved him.

As they were sitting there, eating the apples, there was a rustling in the trees behind them. Maui reached for his hook, ready to do whatever necessary to protect his family when a familiar face made its way through the opening.

"Fomai!" exclaimed Moana as she jumped up and ran to the familiar face. "What are you doing here? How did you find us?"

"Te'Fiti sent me," she said through her nearly toothless smile. Turning to Maui she said, "You are safe now, Maui. Stay here for a while and rest. You have all been through much. You need to rest and gain strength for the journey home."

Moana was about to sit down when the baby started crying again. She started over to where he was laying when Fomai stopped her. "I will see to him."

"How do you know we can trust her?" Moana whispered to Maui. "The twins can change their appearance and that could be one of them now." Moana was shaking with fear.

Moana watched as Maui jumped up and went over to where Fomai was with the baby. He walked cautiously so as not to alert her that he was there. She turned back toward the ocean, having sensed movement. What she saw made her heart stop for a moment. Standing there, on the edge of the ocean, was her father, or at least her father's spirit, standing next to her Gramma Tala. Moana sobbed as she ran to the beach and her father's arms.

"What are you doing here, Dad?" she wept into his arms.

"I am here to protect you and your family. My heart could not handle the thought of losing you and it stopped." He planted a kiss on her forehead then gestured to his mother as he continued. "Mother was waiting for me and took me to find Maui so that he could rescue you."

Moana stood back and looked at her father. "Montonui has no chief now!"

He stroked her hair as he replied, "Yes they do, and she is standing in front of me."

"Dad, I miss you so much." She wailed into his chest.

"Remember, there is nowhere you can go that I will not be with you!" he said, quoting his mother. Hearing the familiar words, Moana turned to her grandmother and gave her a hug as well.

"We will help you and Maui find your way home again," Gramma Tala whispered against Moana's hair. "But for now, let Fomai take care of you so you are ready for the journey. You are a very long way from home and the journey will take a long time."

"Where are we?" asked Moana, finally taking a moment to think about everything.

"You are in a completely different place than where our people come from," replied Tui. "When you were captured, you were taken to a very distant land in the hopes that Maui would not be able to find you."

"How did he find me?" she asked, having not thought about it before now.

"They led me to you!" Maui responded, coming up behind her and placing his hands on her hips. He looked up at Tui and Tala. "Would you like to meet your grandson?"

Moana jumped at those words, remembering she had been anxious about Fomai then remembered what she had been told. It was the real Fomai and they were safe. Moana led the way over to where her son was sleeping soundly in the nest Maui had made for him.

Tui looked down at him with a smile on his face. "What is his name?"

Moana blushed as she realized that everyone was looking to her for an answer. She had not even thought about a name for her little minnow. She thought for a moment then announced.

"His name is Faaola!"


	20. Alone at Last

_A/N: Here is the next chapter. Please let me know what you think!_

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20 – Alone at Last

It was the middle of the day before everyone had settled down on the island that was to be their temporary home. Moana needed more time to heal and Faaola needed time to adjust to life on the outside. Fomai had taken him and Ohana to a stream a little way off and bathed both of them. Ohana had enjoyed having time to play in the water. Moana and Maui had set to work constructing a hut and making soft beds out of the unique leaves and branches that they found. It was colder than they were used to so Moana made a point of finding things to make warmer wrapping for everyone. Around mid-day, they all settled down to eat the foods they had found on the island then the children were laid down for a nap.

Maui walked up behind Moana after she had laid Faaola down and wrapped his arms around her still slightly swollen belly.

"I love you!" he whispered into her hair. She turned to face him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"I love you too!" She looked up into Maui's eyes. She had really missed this man!

"Would you like to go away, just the two of us for a few minutes? There is a hot spring not far from here and Fomai will be able to watch the children for us while we go. You deserve a hot soak after being locked up in a dungeon and giving birth." He was trailing kisses down her neck as he spoke.

"That sounds amazing!" she whispered.

Maui stepped back and took her hand, leading her to the hot spring. It was a peaceful walk to the waterfall that hid the hot spring. They were silent as they walked hand in hand. There was so much to say, so many questions to ask, but neither of them knew where to start. Once they arrived at the spring, Maui reluctantly released Moana's hand from his. She turned her back to him and removed her clothes before shyly stepping into the comfort of the spring. Maui also relieved himself of his skirt and joined her. They had never been in front of each other so completely vulnerable but neither one cared. Maui found that there was a smooth stone that was perfect to sit on. He sat down on it and pulled Moana onto his lap. She sat sideways on his lap and laid her head on his broad shoulder.

"This feels incredible!" she sighed deeply. "Thank you for bringing me here."

Maui chuckled before singing out, "You're welcome!"

Moana promptly smacked his chest while hiding her smile. Maui felt her shake as she laughed at him.

"Lay back so I can wash your hair," demanded Maui.

Moana wanted to argue, to not give in to his every command but she could not muster the energy to contradict him. She laid her head back and moaned with delight as Maui gently took her hair into his large hands and he washed it in the spring for her. She had not realized how utterly exhausted she was until she felt the water that was swirling around her from the spring.

Maui gently washed Moana's hair, rubbing it through his large hands them combing his fingers through it. It was a lot thicker than the last time he had played with it. Once he was done, he planted a kiss on her forehead then wrapped his arms around her from behind. He stroked her slightly swollen belly, marveling at the fact that just yesterday Faaola had been in there. He gently made his way to her breasts, rubbing them gently before taking one of the large nipples between his fingers.

"Ouch!" Moana exclaimed, causing Maui to freeze.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked with great concern.

"S little bit. Sorry, they are just very tender and sore. You can still rub them, just no pinching."

Maui placed a tender kiss on her shoulder then apologized. Moana simply melted against Maui's hard chest, feeling completely relaxed between the water from the spring and Maui's ministrations. She knew that they could not be as intimate as they would both like, but she would let him love her like this as long as he wanted.

Maui felt terrible that he had caused her pain. He made a mental note to himself to be cautious of her breasts. But they were just so tempting…"Stop it, Maui!" he thought to himself. He continued to shower her with kisses. He simply could not keep his hands and lips off her. There was so much that he had missed out on, so many ways in which he had failed her. He needed her to know that he was sorry and that he was here for her now.

He was also using this time to be sure for himself that she had not been injured during her captivity. As he trailed the kisses down her back, around her breasts, on her stomach, he was looking for any signs of injury. After more than an hour of holding her while he kissed her and felt every inch of her, he was able to relax with the knowledge that they had not harmed her.

"You have been too quiet since we got here," she teased him. "What has you so quiet?"

"I was simply trying to let you get some rest while is made sure that you were not hurt."

"They did not hurt me," Moana stated quietly. Maui, however, did not miss the implication. They may not have hurt her, but he did. He settled her once again onto his lap and buried his face into her neck. He could not stop the tears from flowing down his cheek.

"Moana, I…I…I had to go! I had to be sure that everyone was safe. I…I had to find that rat bastard and kill him. I needed revenge!" Maui's voice rose with each statement. Moana could not miss the anger in his voice as he finished.

"But you were unsuccessful," she stated simply.

"I had him!" Maui said, louder than he meant to. "I followed him to Lalotai where he tried to get the creatures of the dark to help him. I was able to rid him of his army. We ambushed them, and I almost had him, but he escaped. I felt like I died when I realized that he had gotten away. I knew that he was coming for you and there was nothing I could do to stop him!"

Moana gently grabbed Maui's face between her hands and turned it toward her. "I swear to you that I will find and kill him, later. Right now, I am ready to take my family home. I am ready to make you mine!" With that, he kissed her deeply. She did not fight it, in fact, she deepened the kiss.

After they had spent several hours relaxing in the hot spring, Moana slowly got out of the pool.

"Where do you think you are going?" Maui asked.

"I have a little boy who is going to be quite hungry right now and our daughter needs to know that we have not left her." Maui, grinning from the term "our daughter", slowly pulled himself up and followed Moana to their clothes. He put his skirt on then helped Moana with her top wrap. He never grew tired of looking at her tattoos. When they were both fully dressed, Moana turned and kissed Maui briefly on the lips one more time. "I love you!" she whispered.

"I love you too. Now, let's get back to our family!" With that, he took her hand and led her back to their little camp.

When they emerged through the trees into the clearing where they had settled, they both stopped short. Fomai had been busy during their absence. The fire was in a proper fire pit now and there was a spit where several rabbits were cooking slowly. The inside of the hut had been made even more comfortable with more bedding and a couple of small torches on the wall, not to mention dividers between the rooms. It was clear that Fomai expected them to stick around for a while.

Moana walked over to Fomai and took Faaola from her hands, so she could feed him. She took him over to the stone where she had sat earlier and proceeded to feed him. Maui went over to where Ohana was playing in the ocean and started to splash her. For a while, they all felt like a real family.

When it was dinner time, everyone gathered around the fire and enjoyed their dinner as Fomai told stories about the gods. When they had finished eating, Maui picked up Ohana and Moana carried Faaola and the four of them walked along the beach. Ohana fell asleep while in Maui's arms and they slowly made their way back to the hut. Once they got there, Maui laid her gently in her bed while Moana prepared Faaola for bed as well. Once the children were in bed for the night (or at least it was time to eat again) Maui and Moana joined Fomai around the fire once again.

Fomai looked across the fire at the couple who were sitting close and asked the question that was burning in everyone's mind.

"Tell me, what happened to you?"

Maui proceeded to tell his side of the story. Moana held onto his hand that was holding her to his side as he described his journey into Lalotai. When he was done, Moana told her story. Maui's hand held her closer as she told about the kidnapping. When they had finished giving her all the details, Fomai looked at Maui and asked the question that they had not thought of.

"What was the blue glow that gave you light to see the child coming?"

Maui looked at Moana. He did not know! Unless…


	21. At Last

_A/N I have been really busy which is why I am just now getting this chapter done. I did not actually mean to post this particular chapter on Valentine's Day but, hey, whatever works! Hope you enjoy and be advised that when I title the chapter "A_ t _Last", you know what is finally happening. You have been warned!_

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21 – At Last

The time spent on the island was refreshing to everyone who was there. Moana spent the weeks resting and recovering from the birth of Faaola, who by the way was growing like a weed. Maui was finally able to relax knowing his family was safe. Ohana was able to be a child again. Faaola had grown exponentially. In fact, his growth rate astounded Moana. By the time he was six weeks old, he was sitting up by himself, eating soft foods, and had a budding vocabulary.

"Maui, Faaola is growing way too fast. Why do you think that is?" Moana asked one night as she lay in Maui's arms.

He gently stroked her back as he held her. "I don't know. The only thing I can figure is that since he is technically a demigod her is bound to grow faster than most children."

"Did you grow that fast?"

Maui lay there for a moment, thinking about the answer to her question. "I did not grow faster than other children, but I was not born a demigod. I was born to mortal parents and the gods gave me my abilities once I was grown. Faaola was born the child of a demigod so maybe that is why he is growing faster."

Moana rolled off of Maui and onto her side with a sigh. "He will surpass Ohana in no time flat!" Moana said, feeling the concern building inside of her.

Maui sensed the tension in Moana. He propped himself up on his arm so that he was facing her. "We will go to see Te Fiti when we leave here, and we will find out more then. Don't worry about him. I have every confidence that he will be just fine."

Maui gently ran his fingers down Moana's hip. He was just as concerned about Faaola as Moana was but laying here and worrying about it would not help matters any. They had been biding their time until Moana and Faaola were well enough to make the long journey home. While laying there next to Moana, Maui decided that tomorrow he would begin making preparations to leave.

"If you are not careful, your face will be stuck like that!" Moana teased him.

Maui was startled by her statement then realized that he had let her see the concern on his face. Or was it determination?

"What if my face was stuck like this?" he asked, giving her a mischievous grin.

"I would never trust you! I would always be wondering what you were up to." Moana started to giggle uncontrollably.

"I love that sound!" he whispered into her hair. With that, he grabbed her and rolled them so that she was on her back and he was straddling her. He began trailing kisses down her neck, between her breasts, down her belly, and back up again. He took his time showering her with kisses. She was still healing physically from giving birth and emotionally from the rape. This was about all he could do for her but he wanted her to never doubt how much he loved her.

"Maui?" Moana said in barely a whisper.

"Hmmmmm?" he moaned against her neck.

"Make love to me!"

It was a demand, even though it was whispered. There was no room for arguing and Maui wanted to act without a second thought.

"Are you sure?" he asked tentatively, holding his breath as he waited for the answer.

She grabbed his face between both of her hands and pulled it so that he was looking at her.

"I am sure. Fomai says that I am fully healed from giving birth. I want you!"

Maui's breath caught as he looked into her eyes, making sure that she was not just saying the words but that she truly meant them. It only took a second of looking to realize that she meant what she said. He bent down and began to kiss her ever so gently. He could feel her melt under him and it just spurned him on. He slowly began to kiss her with even more passion and before long it had turned into a heated dance between their tongues. He reached a hand for her breast and began to massage it. It filled his hand perfectly and that just made his body respond that much more.

Moana could feel Maui's arousal. It felt so incredible being here in this moment with him. Were the bad memories there haunting her? Yes, they were. But she was able to push them away. This was her Maui. He loved her. She could feel it in the way he kissed her. She could hear it in the way he moaned as they kissed. He would never hurt her. She wanted more. The kisses were not enough but she was not sure how to tell Maui or what exactly she needed to tell him. She involuntarily bucked her hips up at him.

"Slow down there, Penina. I am not ready for that yet!" he grinned down at her. He slowly ran his fingers up and down the inside of her legs, adding more preassure each time they made their trek.

"Maui," she begged breathlessly.

Maui just chuckled as he began to rub circles around her nub. He felt Moana's moan. Did she realize what her reactions were doing to him? He slowly thrust a finger inside of her. She jumped underneath him and he was afraid that he had hurt her. He was about to pull his finger out when she simply whispered, "More."

He found a slow steady rhythm of sliding his finger in and out of her while his thumb gently massaged her nub. She did not even realize that she was pushing against him, adding to the music that their bodies were making.

Moana felt like she was going to pass out from the intensity of the pleasure that her demigod was bestowing upon her. As she squirmed under Maui's gentle touch, she felt her muscles begin to pull taught inside of her. She felt like she was turning into a band that was about to snap.

Maui felt Moana tense up underneath of him. As he continued his ministrations, he took one of her breasts into his mouth and began to gently nibble it. It was not long before Moana let out a moan as she came for him. Maui smiled to himself. He had shown her what it felt like to be loved, and he was not done yet.

Moana had never felt so alive before. This is what it felt like to have someone love you with all their heart. Maui had been so gentle with her so far, making sure he did not hurt her. She could not have loved him anymore at the moment. As she slowly brought her breathing back under control, she pulled Maui's face back down to her so she could kiss him. She did not hold anything back, kissing him as deeply as she could, biting his bottom lip, rubbing her hands up and down his back. She needed more!

Maui felt the moment that Moana was ready for more. Without breaking their kiss, he slowly positioned himself at her opening. Deepening the kiss, he slowly entered her. Moana tensed up underneath him.

"It's Maui, my love. I am not going to hurt you. I am only ever going to love you," he gently whispered into her ear. He did not want her to ever be afraid of him. He remained still until he felt her relax under him. He began a very slow tempo, not wanting to hurt her. As she had time to adjust to him being inside of her, he slowly sped up the pace. Not only was this moment special for Moana, but it was for him as well.

He had always had his pick of the mortal women. He could have had his way with any one of them. But he had wanted to be sure that when the time came, he was not merely having sex. He wanted to wait until it was for love. He might be old fashioned, but he was more than a thousand years old. He was allowed to be old fashioned!

He found himself slowly building pace as he felt himself tighten up. He slowed himself down, hoping that Moana would come with him. It was not long before they reached their orgasms at the same time. When they were done, Maui bent down to kiss Moana. "Thank you!" he whispered.

"You're welcome!" she sang with a satisfied smile on her face.

Maui chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her and flipped them over so that she was back to laying on his chest. He loved her so much. He hoped that she knew what he could not find the words to say. The lay there for a few minutes, just loving the fact that they were one.

"How would you like to go for a swim?" he asked softly.

Moana lay there for a moment. "I don't think I can move!" she chuckled.

Maui smiled to himself then slowly sat up gently, pulling Moana up with him. He kissed her deeply then released his hold on her. He stood up quietly then reached down and lifted her up into his arms. He quietly carried her out to the ocean. Moana smiled as she cuddled into Maui's chest. This was her safe place. This was her future husband. She could not wait to go home so they could become husband and wife. They swam under the light of the stars and the moon, enjoying their newfound closeness.

"I want to go home. I need to see my mother and take my place a chief." Moana had her arms wrapped around Maui's neck as he held her close to him. She wanted him to take her again right there. She kissed his neck and bucked her hips against his. "More than anything, I want to be yours in every way possible. I want to be your wife!" she whispered seductively.

Maui felt like his heart was going to beat out of his chest. This woman in his arms wanted to belong to him fully. He began to kiss her deeply and before long, they were once again intertwined with each other, making love under the stars.

Moana felt refreshed when she woke up the next morning. She felt the smile spread on her face as she remembered the night they had spent making love to each other. She turned toward where Maui was and opened her eyes, only to discover that he was not there. She sat up quickly and was looking around frantically, afraid that last night had all been a dream.

Maui walked in with breakfast for Moana and stopped in the doorway at the sight of her. She looked stunning after the night of making love. When he noticed the concerned look on her face, he rushed to her side.

"Good morning, beautiful!" he whispered.

Moana looked at him and it only took a moment for her to realize that she had not been dreaming.

"Eat up, Buttercup! We have a busy day ahead of us."

"What makes today any different from any other day since we got here?"

"We are preparing to leave for home." He pulled her into a warm embrace. "It is time to return the chief to her people."


	22. Coconuts

A _/N: Sorry it has taken so long to update the story._ School _has kept me super busy and I have not had the time that I wanted to work on this. Spring break has helped a little bit but still not_ enough _time. I hope you enjoy this short chapter and as always I cannot wait to see what everyone has to say._

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22 – Coconuts

It was three days later when Maui pushed the canoe bearing his family out to sea. He had spent every possible minute making improvements to the canoe they had used to escape. Moana had spent the time collecting food and preparing all the other supplies for the journey. Ohana and Faaola had both grown at an alarming rate. Ohana suddenly doubled in age appearance, now looking more like a 5-year-old than a toddler. Faaola took her place as the toddler. He was six weeks old yet looked to be around three. Moana was glad to be heading toward TeFiti to see what was going on.

For the first week of their travel, the skies were clear and the water calm. On the tenth night, a great storm arose. Moana grabbed the children and tied them to her then tied all three of them to the mast while Maui expertly navigated the canoe through the torrential rains. The storm lasted for more than a day, but Maui successfully navigated them through it. It was not long after the storm that they came to land and stopped for a couple of days.

Maui found himself physically exhausted from the storm. Something was not right. Not only was he becoming physically drained, but he also found himself sleeping once in a while. Moana grew concerned for Maui. She could see the changes in him and she grew more anxious every day to reach TeFiti. She found herself in an almost constant state of unease between her worry for Maui and for the accelerated growth of her children.

After a few days on land, they once more set out for TeFiti. After two more weeks of traveling, they had finally reached their part of the world. Moana never thought she would be so happy to see coconut trees and yet there they were.

"Look, Ohana! Coconuts!"

"I want coconuts!" the child exclaimed loudly, causing Maui to jump. Moana burst out laughing at the sight of a startled Maui.

"We might need to stop for some coconuts soon!" she said.

Maui looked at Moana with a grin on his face. "Here, you navigate the canoe and I will fly ahead to see if there is an island up ahead or if we should stop at one nearby for the night."

"That would be a great idea. The children could use a break from the canoe, as could I!"

Maui leaned down and placed a kiss on Moana's forehead before lifting off into the air as a hawk.

"Bye Daddy!" Ohana waved.

"Bye bye!" echoed Faaola.

"Alright, kiddos. Let's see how much further we can go before nightfall."

Moana steered the canoe in the same direction Maui had flown. She kept her eyes on the horizon and was deep in thought about what her mother would say when she saw the children.

"Coconuts!" squealed Ohana, breaking Moana out of her deep thoughts.

"Yes, Ohana. We will stop for coconuts after daddy gets back."

"No!" exclaimed Ohana in a frustrated tone. "Look there! Coconuts!"

Moana turned to look in the direction that Ohana was pointing toward. Sure enough, to the east of where they were, Moana saw coconuts. Lots and lots of coconuts, on a huge ship.

"Kakamora! Ohana, Faaola, sit down and hang on tight."

Moana guided the canoe away from the direction of the Kakamora, hoping they had not seen the canoe. She was startled when Maui landed roughly on the canoe next to her.

"They already saw us and are headed this way. Strap in the children, it will take both of us to defeat them. You distract them and I will attack."

"Why do I have to be the distraction?" Moana challenged.

"Because I said so."

"Maui!" Moana yelled at him. As they continued to argue, the boat drew ever closer. Suddenly, Maui felt something hit him and the next thing he knew he was lying immobile on the deck on the canoe.

"Really? Blowdart, in my butt cheek, again?" he yelled in frustration. Despite the seriousness of the situation, Moana had to stifle the laugh that bubbled up inside her.

Arrows hit the mast and the Kakamora began their descent onto the canoe. Maui reached for his hook which he had dropped when he fell but it was just out of his reach. Moana began swinging her boat oar at the Kakamora but they came too fast.

"Ohana, hand me my hook!"

Ohana jumped up and raced toward the hook. As she picked it up, she turned into a large tan dog with pointy ears. Moana jumped back in shock as she watched dog Ohana turn in a couple of fast circles as she tried to get a feel for her new body. Maui just lay there, unable to move, watching as his daughter did what he had been doing for more than a thousand years. She had his power!

Ohana plopped down on her front paws, her tail wagging wildly in the air as she started to swat at the Kakamora and play with them. She knocked three Kakamora into the water with a single swipe of her paw. Her tongue hung out the side of her mouth as she looked at the next batch who were headed toward the canoe. She jumped up and caught the closest one in her mouth, shaking it back and forth vigorously until she finally let it go, sending it soaring far away from the canoe into the ocean.

"Ohana!" yelled Maui. "Bring me the hook!"

Ohana perked her ears up and cocked her head to the side at Maui's words. She playfully swatted her paw at him but was knocked over onto her side by a quartet of incoming Kakamora. She jumped up, shaking her head then et out a loud snarl. She jumped at the Kakamora and began crushing them between her strong jaws.

Just as they were about to start beating on Ohana, Moana swung her oar at them and knocked them all off the canoe.

"Ohana!" she yelled as Ohana collapsed onto the deck. She had been hit with a couple of darts. She changed back into her human form and Moana quickly removed the darts. She picked her up into her arms and held her close. Once she was sure the child was ok, she laid her next to Maui and Faaola and resumed her place, guiding the boat in the direction of home.

The Kakamora had realized that they did not stand a chance against the mortals on the small canoe and had changed course. Ohana had saved them!


	23. The Mother Island

A/N Sorry it has taken me so long to post a new chapter. Life has been insane the last several months. Things seem to be slowly getting back to normal so I should be able to post more often again. Thanks for your patience and please leave me a review!

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23 – The Mother Island

Moana deftly guided the canoe toward an island that was a short distance away from where the battle against the Kakamora had just taken place. When she had pulled the canoe to shore, she made a small bed out of the palm branches and placed a sleeping Faaola on it before returning to the canoe for Ohana. She picked up a limp Ohana and carried her to the makeshift bed and laid her down. She had fallen asleep due to the darts that had hit her during her playtime with the Kakamora.

Maui let out a growl from where he was stuck on the canoe.

"Growl all you want, I cannot carry you!" Moana chuckled as she leaned down and kissed Maui on the head before returning to where the children were sleeping soundly. She was determined to get the camp all set up before the sun went down and the were immersed in darkness. She climbed the nearest tree and harvested a few coconuts. When she had clambered down to the ground, she husked them and used the outside to help her build a fire. Once the fire was going strong, she went out and caught some fish. Maui gave her a dirty look as she walked by which only made her laugh. She caught several fish and brought them back to the fire where she settled down to fix dinner.

"So, a dog!" Maui chuckled as he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"So, blow darts, again!" she responded with a giggle. She stood up and turned so she was facing Maui. "I'm worried! If she has the same power you do, what does that mean for her? She is growing at an accelerated rate, as is Faaola. I am worried for my babies!"

Maui pulled her in closer and held her while her tears trickled down his broad chest.

"I don't know what is going on. We will be to TeFiti soon and we will get our answers then." His hand stroked her hair as he held her. What he did not want to admit was that he was just as worried as she was. In fact, probably more so. He had noticed a change in himself lately. He tried to discount it as part of the stress he had been under. But there was more to it than that. He wanted to confide in Moana, but she was worried enough about the children. She did not need the added stress that his situation would put on her.

The next morning, they loaded up the canoe with more provisions that they found on the island and they headed out. The sky and water were almost too peaceful for Maui's comfort. By late afternoon, he was so uneasy about the weather that he approached Moana with a plan.

"I am going to turn into a whale and pull the canoe. We will get there much faster and hopefully beat out the storm that seems to be brewing." He leaned down and planted a tender kiss on her forehead before grabbing his hook and diving into the water. He swam a couple of laps around the canoe before grabbing the rope and pulling his family to safety.

Moana held on to the children tightly to keep them from falling overboard due to the speed at which Maui was swimming. It only took a few hours at that speed to reach TeFiti. Maui returned to his human form and pulled to canoe to the safety of the shore. Once everyone was safely ashore, he lifted the boat and set it further inland in case there was a storm. He picked up Faaola and put him on his shoulders while Moana held Ohana's hand. The family walked silently toward TeFiti. Ohana and Faaola seemed to sense that their parents were nervous about something.

TeFiti slowly sat up and shrunk down so that she could talk to the family as they approached.

Maui knelt down and set Faaola on the ground then bowed to the great goddess.

"TeFiti, it is good to see you again," declared Moana. "How have you been?"

TeFiti smiled and shrugged her shoulders. She and Moana had always had a special connection. She looked at the children and smiled.

Moana bent down to Ohana. "This is TeFiti. Can you say hi?"

"Hi TeFiti!" Ohana said in a sing-song voice.

TeFiti reached down and gently stroked the girl's hair, eliciting squeals of excitement in the process.

Maui stood up, picking up Faaola as he stood. "This is Faaola. He is Moana's child that was born just a few months ago."

TeFiti's eyebrows knit together as she studied the child in Maui's arms. He seemed so much bigger than a few months old. She turned to Moana, her face asking the question.

"Montonui was attacked by Tau-Faasese and I was raped. Not long afterwards, I discovered that I was expecting. Ohana and I were taken captive and held in a land far away until Maui arrived. Both of the children have been growing much too fast and we were hoping you would be able to help us understand what is happening."

TeFiti reached out to Faaola and took him from Maui's hands. She looked into his eyes for several moments. Finally, she returned him to Maui then reached down to the water, starting ripples in it's glassy surface.

Maui and Moana gazed into the water and saw a grown up Faaola fighting great monsters with great strength, just like Maui! Next to him was Ohana with a hook identical to Maui's helping her brother fight by using the powers the hook gave her. As they looked upon the scene that was unfolding in front of them, they realized that there were two more people in the background, an elderly Maui and Moana.

Maui gasped as realization hit him. He looked up at TeFiti, searching her eyes to see if she would confirm his suspicions. The truth was there in her eyes, clear as day.

"What does this mean?" Moana whispered to Maui.

"My sweet Penina. It means that the children are going to take my place as demigods, Faaola through his birth, Ohana through her adoption. Since she will be obtaining my powers, I will become mortal and I will be able to age along side you. I will not have to live an eternity without you." By the time Maui was finishing his explanation, there were tears streaming down his face.

"Oh, Maui. I am so sorry that you are going to lose your powers!"

"Don't be!" He set Faaola down and reached a hand toward her to cup her cheek. "These are tears of joy. I hated the thought of you growing old while I am stuck living forever. That is no longer a fear and we do not need to fear what is happening to the children. They will fight for the good of all side by side and they will always be there for each other and protect each other. They are growing at an accelerated rate because of those powers."

Moana gasped as the truth sank in. Her babies were going to be the new protectors. He Maui was going to be mortal. Roles were reversing, and she was becoming light headed. Maui reached out and caught her before she sank to the ground. He gently lifted her into his arms and carried her to the shade of a great tree that sat nearby. It did not take long for her to regain consciousness.

"Are you ok?" Maui whispered into her hair.

"I am fine. It was a lot to take in." Moana slowly sat up with Maui's help. She quickly looked around for the children and found them playing with some butterflies nearby. They looked so young and innocent. She was torn inside as shea realized the weight of what they were going to be in the future and yet she was happy to know that they would never die.

She looked up into Maui's eyes and saw a peace there unlike she had ever seen before.

"What are you thinking?" she asked him.

"I am thinking that I am happier than I have ever been before. I get to grow old along side of you and our children are going to live forever." He sat there holding Moana in his arms for a long time, each of them lost in their thoughts.

Everything was going to be just fine! Now it was time to go home and get married!


	24. Home Again

A/N I have reposted this chapter. For some reason, it did not post like it was supposed to the first time. As always, thanks for reading. Hope you like it!

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Moana and her family made excellent time on their trip home to Montonui. There was a gentle breeze that gave them just the right push in the direction of home. After traveling for 4 peaceful days, they arrived home just as it was approaching mid-day. As Maui maneuvered the canoe toward the shore, Moana sat hugging the children close to her. It had been almost a year since she had been taken away. So much had happened in that time. She was a bit nervous about how well she would be accepted. She had left her people without a word of goodbye and she was absent when her father had passed away. Was Mama going to be upset with her? Who was currently running the village?

"Everything will be great!" Maui whispered into her ear. "They will be happy to see you!"

"How did you know what I was thinking about?" she inquired.

"I could read it on your face," he grinned. He reached for the children. "Why don't you let me take these guys and you can lead the way to the village?"

Moana slowly rose to her feet and stretched a little bit. She reached her hand out to take Maui's arm as he helped them all onto the shore. He leaned to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"Lead us home, Chief!"

Moana slowly made her way along the shore and up the hill toward the village. She was not even halfway up the slight incline when she saw someone running toward her.

"Moana!" yelled Sina as she bolted toward her daughter. Moana almost fell over from the force of her mother's embrace.

"I was not sure if I would ever see you again!" Sina cried into Moana's hair.

"I am so sorry that I was not here when dad died," Moana sobbed into her mother's shoulder. The two women sank to the ground, holding each other and crying. There were many things to be said but the tears were enough for the moment.

Suddenly, Moana felt a small hand on her shoulder.

"Mama?" Ohana was looking at her with great concern. She released her hold on her mother and took the young girl in her arms.

"Mama is fine. Do you remember Grandma Sina?"

Ohana looked at Sina and smiled as she lunged toward her grandmother. Sina happily took Ohana from Moana's arms and hugged her tightly to her.

"You have grown so much, my little darling," Sina commented to Ohana as she looked questioningly at Moana.

"I have a lot to tell you!" Moana stated simply. She turned toward Maui and reached for Faaola. He reached for his mother as Maui gently placed him in Moana's arms.

"This is your grandson, Faaola. He was born while we were being held captive."

Sina examined the child in Moana's arms. He looked too old to be the child she was carrying when she had been kidnapped. Before she could ask anything, Maui offered a gentle explanation.

"We have just arrived from Te'Fiti. We inquired as to the expedited growth of the children. Sina, your grandchildren are very special."

"I am their grandmother, you do not have to tell me they are special!"

Moana and Maui laughed as Sina took a child's hand in each of hers and led the family to the village. As they drew closer, Moana and Maui could hear the villagers sharing the news with the rest of the village.

"The great Maui and Chief Moana have returned home!"

People began to pour out of the houses and into the center of the village, each one wanting to see the returned heroes.

"Who is the acting chief?" Moana inquired of her mother.

"The council elders have been taking care of the big decisions since your father's death. There has not been a reason to have an actual chief as we all work very well together. But, now that you are here, we will celebrate your return and you will take your place as chief."

Moana took a deep breath and let it out slowly as Maui walked up beside her and placed his hand on the small of her back. She knew this was the next thing for her to do and she was so thankful that Maui was there to help her.

"Mama, there is another matter that we must tend to as soon as the arrangements can be made." She cast a tender look at Maui's face. She could not wait to officially become completely his.

Before they could go any further, they were crowded by villagers who wanted to see the chief and demigod who had been gone and had now returned. They stayed and visited with the villagers for a while before it finally was time to start dinner preparations. One of the elders emerged from the council hall.

"Tonight, we will feast in honor of the return of Chief Moana and demigod Maui. Feasting will begin at sunset."

Before the elder had even finished his grand announcement, the villagers had all rushed off to complete their various tasks in order to prepare for the feast. Sina grasped the hands of her grandchildren and led them, along with Maui and Moana, to the area where their huts were located.

As they approached Moana's hut, Maui put his arm around her waist. She had tensed up at the sight and he was sure that seeing her hut had brought back bad memories. He was going to have to remedy that and as soon as possible.

Ohana seemed to remember the island and their hut. As soon as it had come into view, she freed herself from Sina's grasp and ran to the hut. Once the adults and Faaola had caught up with her, they found her sitting on her mat playing with a doll that Sina had made for her right after she had come to live with Moana.

"We will get to work on a bigger hut for you first thing in the morning," Sina smiled at Faaola as she spoke. "I also think that you should let the children sleep in my hut tonight. It is bigger and everyone will be more comfortable."

Moana released her hold on Maui and embraced her mother. "Thank you, mom. That really means a lot."

"You deserve some quiet time. For now, go to your hut and rest. We will see the both of you at dinner." Sina leaned in akissed Moana's forehead before turning and leading her grandchildren toward her hut.

"Let's get you ready to greet your people!" Maui took Moana's hand in his and led her toward their hut.

"Wait!" Moana stopped mid-stride. "Let's go take a soak in the spring first."

Maui smiled down at Moana. "Sounds good," he responded as he turned and led Moana down the path toward the spring. They enjoyed a nice long soak before making their way back to their hut. They both changed into their ceremonial outfits. Once they were dressed, Maui sat down on the floor with a basket of small blooms. He reached for Moana and gently pulled her down into his lap. He began to slowly and ever so gently combed his fingers through her hair, placing tender kisses on her neck and shoulders as he went. Once he was sure that all the knots were out of her hair, he maneuvered it into an elaborate braid. When he was happy with the outcome, he deftly placed the flowers into the updo.

As Maui was placing the final bud into Moana's hair, Ohana came bounding into the room. She launched herself onto Moana's lap and fingered one of the flowers in Moana's hair. Maui chuckled as he removed the clower from Moana's hair and placed it into Ohana's. Sina had braided Ohana's hair the wound it around her head forming a crown.

"There you go, Princess!" Maui reached around MOana and placed a kiss on Ohana's forehead. He was rewarded with a huge grin as Ohana jumped up from Moana's lap.

As Moana rose from Maui's lap, Sina approached the doorway with Faaola in tow.

"Thank you for getting the children ready for me, Mom! I really appreciate it."

Both children were dressed in orange and yellow wraps similar in style to those of Maui and Moana. Moana stood studying them for a moment.

"How did you happen to have these ready and in the right sizes?"

"Your father told me you were coming and about what size the children were."

"Dad?"

"I see him every night when the moon is full."

Moana felt Maui put his arm around her waist as she struggled with the emotions of once again realizing her father was gone from their presence. She took a few steadying breaths as she closed the distance to the door. She gave Sina a sad smile as she collected Faaola into her arms. There would be a lot to deal with over the next few days. But for now, it was time to celebrate being back home safe and sound.

Sina led the way to the village center with Moana carrying Faaola while Maui had Ohana's small hand in his large one. His other hand was placed possessively on the small of Moana's back. As they reached the head table, cheers erupted from those gathered around them.

Once everyone was seated, the elder from earlier stood and silence fell upon all who were gathered.

"Today is a great day. Moana has returned to take her rightful place as the chief of our great people."

Cheers erupted all around at this pronouncement. As soon as the cheering died down, he continued.

"Not only has our chief come home but she has brought the demigod, Maui, with her."

Cheers once again erupted from the villagers. The elder raised his hand in an attempt to silence the crowd so he could finish his speech.

"Tonight, we will feast and celebrate their return."

As soon as he finished his speech, a group of women and children stood up and began dancing while several roasted pigs were brought out. The feasting and dancing lasted far into the night. Maui regaled them with tales of their adventures over the last year. Moana sat and watched as the villagers sat entranced as Maui shared with them how he rescued his family from the fortress. The echo of laughter rang throughout the village as the tale of Ohana and the Kakamora was told in great detail. No one breathed as the vision from Te'Fiti was shared.

Finally, the night was over. Moana carried a sleeping Faaola to Sina's hut while Maui followed closely behind with a slumbering Ohana in his great arms. Once the children were settled for the night, Moana and Maui made their way to their hut. Maui gently pulled the flowers out of Moana's hair and released it from the braids, causing her hair to cascade down her back. He gently kissed her neck and shoulders as he helped her out of the chiefly she had worn to the feast. He turned around and looked into her tired eyes.

"You are the most beautiful person I have ever known. Your people love you and you are an amazing mother. I asked you this what seems like forever ago but with all the changes we have endured, I feel like I need to ask you again. Will you marry me? Will you let me take care of you and protect you until death parts us?"

Moana looked deep into Haui's eyes. She was so overwhelmed with emotion her throat hurt.

"My answer has not changed. I have loved you for longer than you could possibly know. I will talk to my mother in the morning and we will plan our wedding."

She raised her hands to hold his face as she kissed him tenderly.

"Yes! A million times yes. I will marry you!"

Maui lifted Moana into the air and spun her around. She still loved him! The twins would have to wait...he had a woman to love!


End file.
